Photo Album: Niryat Bandhu' Seminar on India's exports: Africa, Russia, Central Asia


 

Speech of H.E. Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, Former President of India

PROFILE

The Centre for African Studies at the University of Mumbai is the oldest of three departments in India that focuses exclusively on African affairs. The University Grants Commission (UGC) established the African Studies Programme in 1971-72, at the University of Mumbai, as a part of its efforts to develop Area Studies Programme at the University level. The African Studies Programme became a full fledged Centre of the University in 1984. The Centre is housed in the Area Studies Building located at Vidyanagari Campus of the University of Mumbai in Kalina, Santacruz (East). The Centre is financed by the UGC and University of Mumbai for its academic activities and development of infrastructural facilities.

The Centre is actively involved in research and inter-disciplinary teaching at the postgraduate level. The Centre offers M.A. degree in African Studies with an additional option of M.A. degree in African Studies in combination with other social science disciplines. The Centre offers a certificate course in International Trade (Africa) and a certificate course in Swahili language.In addition to teaching, the Centre has achieved academic excellence through its research programmes. The Centre for African Studies offers M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes in African Studies. The teaching and research programme of the Centre covers both, traditional and contemporary African issues. The current research focus of the Centre includes India's Africa Policy, Emerging Powers and Africa, Indian Diaspora in Africa, African Diaspora in India, India's Energy Security issues in Africa, issues of governance and democracy in Africa and the Indian Ocean region. Over the years, the Centre has successfully undertaken several projects on Africa from governmental and non-governmental agencies and also organized international conferences, seminars, round tables and workshops. The Centre encourages fellows and scholars having an active interest in Africa to come and share their academic expertise with the students and faculty members at the Centre. The main purpose of such interactions is to strengthen the academic programmes of the Centre and facilitate the researchers to develop better understanding of African affairs.

The Centre for African Studies has an in-house documentation unit that provides documentation services to the faculty and researchers. It receives documents/reports from academic institutions and international organizations on a complimentary/exchange basis. Jawaharlal Nehru Library of the University located at Vidyanagari Campus also provides research space and other facilities to the scholars for doing research on Africa. It has a large collection of books and journals on African affairs. The Centre for African Studies has developed a successful relationship with trading and business houses who have constantly supported the Centre's academic endeavors through their participation and financial support.

The Centre publishes a bi-annual in-house journal African Currents which contains research articles written by the Centre's faculty and research students, lectures delivered at the Centre by eminent Africanists, bibliography prepared by the documentation unit of the Centre.  Research papers and reports are also published by the Centre in the form of working papers. The Centre's main objective is to promote African Studies as an academic discipline with aholistic understanding of Africa with its social, cultural, economic and strategic specificities and to provide critical inputs to the policy makers; particularly in India's economic, strategic and political interest and to contribute towards Indian perspective of the region and issues.