06.03.2024 New Scientific Network at the Center for Conflict Studies

Re-centering African Subjects and Subjectivities. Proposition for a New Research Agenda on Regionalism in Africa.

The scientific network "Re-centering African Subjects and Subjectivities”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), led by Mariel Reiss, officially started its work in January 2024. The network brings together 16 internationally renowned scholars from different disciplines, united in shaping a new research agenda on African regionalism over the next three years. Within the network, a coordinating team, comprising Lynda Iroulo, Maria Ketzmerick, Miriam Mukalazi, Densua Mumford, Mariel Reiss, and Antonia Witt, orchestrates the collaborative endeavors and outreach initiatives. 

In a first meeting on the 5th of March 2024, most of the network members came together online for the kick-off. They will convene four times a year for research colloquia and for one workshop each year. The first of three workshops will take place in October 2024 at the Legon Center for International Affairs and Diplomacy at the University of Ghana. 

Stemming from political science, international relations, sociology, and anthropology, and with each member having several months to years of extensive field research and/or personal lived experience, the network is able to leverage diverse expertise on African realities. These include, but are not limited to, the broad themes of conflict and security, political economy, institutions, governance, gender, as well as civil society and non-state actors, and encompass inter alia post- and decolonial approaches. 

Rooted in a critical examination of both mainstream/Western and African perspectives on regionalism, and drawing inspiration from the collective expertise of its members, the network aims to produce fresh empirical insights, advance new methodological approaches, and foster the development of innovative theories in the study of African regionalism. Central to its mission is a dedicated focus on African subjects and subjectivities, aiming to contribute substantially to the understanding of regional dynamics in the African context.

Project Period: 2024-2026
Funding: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 
Project leader: Dr. Mariel Reiss
Team: Soary Stéphan-Robert