A network in excellence | AEGIS - African studies in Europe

Mobility Barriers Hinder Africa-Europe Research Collaboration

In this article, Nic Mitchell, UK-based freelance journalist and PR consultant specialising in European and international higher education, reflects on The Africa Charter on Transformative Research Collaborations, on which AEGIS became a signatory at ECAS in Prague in June 2025.
Mitchell maintains that "Collaboration between African and European universities may be moving in the right direction – but barriers to mobility for African academics and students continue to hold back equal cooperation between the two continents in education and research".

Events

Call for Proposals: 2026 Conference of the Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS)

The Conference of the Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS) 2026 will be held at Glendon Campus, York University, in Toronto, Canada, from June 9–12, 2026. The conference, themed “Global Africa: Legacies, Change, and Aspirations,” will be a hybrid event, offering both in-person and virtual participation options.

You can find more details here: https://www.caas-acea.org/landing-pages/caas-2026-conference.

Opportunities

CRC Future Rural Africa: Vacancies for Third Project Phase (2026-2029)

The Collaborative Research Centre TRR 228 Future Rural Africa: future-making and social-ecoligical transformation has been approved for a third project phase (2026-2029). As part of this next phase, the project will be opening several new positions for doctoral and post-doctoral researchers at the University of Cologne and the University of Bonn.

Application deadline: 18 January 2026.

Click here for more information.

Publications

AEGIS-Brill Series: Trust and Trust-Making in Africa’s Global Connections

Trust and Trust-Making in Africa’s Global Connections is the latest publication in the AEGIS-Brill Series. It is a thought-provoking book contributing to both African Studies and the study of trust in society. The volume provides rich ethnographic insights into the ways trust and trust-making shape Africans’ global encounters.

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In the Spotlight: Global South Studies Center (GSSC), University of Cologne

At ECAS 2025 in Prague, Michael Bollig succeeded Amanda Hammar as AEGIS President, marking the official transfer of the presidency to the Global South Studies Center (GSSC) in Cologne.