Africa
The University’s educational links with Africa can be traced back to the nineteenth century.
Many missionaries who trained at New College at this time went on to work in Africa.
James ‘Africanus’ Horton (1835-1883) of Sierra Leone was also the University’s first recorded Black African graduate.
Centre of African Studies
The Centre of African Studies was founded in 1963. Unique in Scotland, it brings together experts in the study of Africa from across the University, Scotland and further afield.
Its activities include teaching and supervising, seminars, scholarships, conferences and workshops.
The Centre also relates African Studies to the wider community through links with major educational and cultural organisations in Africa and Scotland.
In addition, the Centre hosts the Higher Education Capacity Building project, which funds African academics to carry out research and network with Scottish colleagues.
Julius Nyerere
Many were to follow James Horton to Edinburgh, including the late Julius Nyerere. Julius Nyerere was a teacher, humanist and statesman, who became President of Tanzania, where he is still revered as ‘Father of the Nation’.
Julius Nyerere was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from the University and in 1997 - only two years before his death - he returned to teach and conduct seminars at the Centre for African Studies.
Other links to Africa
The University has many links with Africa across a range of disciplines, including:
- Medicine and health
- History
- Politics
- Culture
- Arts
- Language
- Environment, energy and climate
Global collaborations
Some examples of current partnerships and collaborative projects in Africa, or with African partners, are:
- RECOUP
- PISCES
- Helping Malawian healthcare education
- £2m award to help African farmers
- Improving pain relief in Africa
- Stamping out sleeping sickness
- Vet School improving global animal health
- Ensuring access to life-saving drugs
- Expert to aid economics training in Africa
This article was published on Sep 25, 2011