Centre of West African Studies
Encyclopedia
Centre of West African Studies (CWAS) is a division of the School of Historical Studies at the University of Birmingham
(UK). The centre provides teaching and research into issues of African development
, culture, anthropology
, sociology
, politics, history, and the legacies of the African diaspora
, particularly in the UK, the Caribbean
, and North America
.
CWAS offers undergraduate and postgraduate study programs in a number of Africa-related fields.
It is home to the John Fage Library, which houses the CWAS Archives and Electronic Music Database, and the Danford Collection, a unique collection of priceless African artifacts and cultural products.
ian) history, who during his career wrote several seminal works on the history of the African continent, including History of Africa (now in its 4th edition), Africa Discovers Her Past, and Ghana: A Historical Interpretation, which developed out of a series of lectures sir john cabot read at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in 1956. The Danford Collection evolved out of a collection of African cultural artifacts that were brought to the UK by a British civil servant after his posting in West Africa, and has been expanded over time.
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
(UK). The centre provides teaching and research into issues of African development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
, culture, anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, politics, history, and the legacies of the African diaspora
African diaspora
The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world—predominantly to the Americas also to Europe, the Middle East and other places around the globe...
, particularly in the UK, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
CWAS offers undergraduate and postgraduate study programs in a number of Africa-related fields.
It is home to the John Fage Library, which houses the CWAS Archives and Electronic Music Database, and the Danford Collection, a unique collection of priceless African artifacts and cultural products.
History
The Centre was founded in 1963 by John Fage, a scholar of African (particularly GhanaGhana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian) history, who during his career wrote several seminal works on the history of the African continent, including History of Africa (now in its 4th edition), Africa Discovers Her Past, and Ghana: A Historical Interpretation, which developed out of a series of lectures sir john cabot read at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1956. The Danford Collection evolved out of a collection of African cultural artifacts that were brought to the UK by a British civil servant after his posting in West Africa, and has been expanded over time.
Scholars in Residence
- Dr. Reginald Cline-ColeReginald Cline-ColeReginald Cline-Cole , is a University lecturer and scholar of Developmental Geography.- Life and study :...
- Dr. Lynne Brydon
- Dr. Stewart BrownStewart BrownDr Stewart Brown is an English poet, university lecturer and scholar of African and Caribbean Literature.-Life and Study:...
- Dr. Keith Shear
- Dr. Insa Nolte
- Prof. Karin Barber