The Africa Institute was decreed on June 6th, 2018, as an interdisciplinary academic research institute with a focus on Africa and its people. The institute was established by the Government of the Emirate of Sharjah in their endeavor to strengthen Afro-Arab relations. Since opening its doors, the Africa Institute has taken its mandate seriously and attracted seasoned professionals with vast expertise in this scholarly field. Most importantly, the institute strives to be the model of excellence in researching, teaching and documenting the complex past, present, and future of Africans.Talking about how they are raising the new generation of critical thinkers and scholars, the institute’s spokesperson commented, “The Africa Institute was conceived with the goal of propelling African and African studies to greater heights by developing the right scholars to take on this mandate. As an academic institute, we offer masters and Ph.D. programs in the humanities and social sciences. These programs are open to interested and qualified scholars from across the globe with interest in this scholarly field.”
Ideas never die, and this has been manifested by the establishment of the Africa Institute in Sharjah 42 years after such a recommendation was provided. This was one of the significant recommendations of the symposium on African and Arab relations that was held in the year 1976 under the patronage of His Highness Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi. The foundation of the Africa Institute has, therefore, been an actualization of the well-thought-out vision by the scholars who participated in the symposium. As a result, the institute is backed by a deep historical background that is expected to propel it to success.
Speaking about their community-outreach efforts to create more awareness on African studies, the company’s spokesperson said, “As an institute that has the duty of unraveling the complex past, present, and future of Africa and its relation to the world, we cannot operate in a vacuum. As such, we are constantly touching base with the current generation that has lots of questions through organizing events. These events offer a point of connection and spreading well-researched findings in the most captivating ways.”
Initially constructed in the year 1976, the African Hall was built to be a first-class venue where events showcasing the cultures of Africans could be showcased to the world. Unfortunately, it was later destroyed during the government’s expansion projects. However, in March 2019 The Africa Institute was proud to host the Global Africa conference in the newly rebuilt facility. This was a dream come true for many scholars who have always wanted the richness of the first symposium to continue having global impacts. It was equally a well-placed conference as it sought to evaluate African and African Diaspora studies in the 21st century.
About the Africa Institute
The Africa Institute is a research-based think tank that also doubles as a post-graduate studies center with a focus on African and African Diaspora studies that it seeks to showcase as the global enterprise that it has always been.