University of Ghana Institute of African Studies
Over the years the Institute has grown to host several units and today the Institute’s teaching and research units include Societies & Cultures; Language & Literature; Religion & Philosophy; Music & Dance; History & Politics; and Visual Art. Additionally we have a library, a Publications section, an Audio-visual section that includes the holdings of the International Centre for African Music and Dance (ICAMD) inherited from Emeritus Professor J.H. Nketia, and which currently has a discography and video collection of over 3,000, and over 8,000 photographs. The Institute also has a museum with a variety of collections which include Asante goldweights. The Ghana Dance Ensemble of the IAS is the original national dance company. In addition, the Institute provides hospitality services (chalets and a restaurant) and oversight responsibility for the Manhyia archives at the Asantehene’s palace in Kumasi.
In October 2001, the Institute moved into a new building, the first phase of a projected complex, completed with generous funding from DANIDA, Denmark’s agency for international development. The complex is named after the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, whose vision of African unity and continental government, and belief and passion for African self-assertion and unique contributions to global knowledge and scholarship, led to the establishment of the Institute. The new building has greatly expanded the facilities available for the work of Fellows and students. The building includes a museum and the Kwabena Nketia Conference Hall. This hall was named after the world renowned ethnomusicologist, and the first Ghanaian Director of the Institute, and provides space and a setting to host meetings for more than a hundred people at a time.
LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS
The Institute of African Studies is located on the main Legon campus of the University of Ghana. The Institute has an old site and a new site. The New Site, 100 meters from the main entrance to the Legon campus, houses the Institute’s administration and the offices of most of its faculty members.
The Old Site houses the Institute’s Library, Printing Unit, Publications Unit and Store, Offices for the Ghana Dance Ensemble and the International Centre for Music and Dance, as well as offices of a some international programmes.
University of Ghana Institute of African Studies Programs
Undergraduate
Overview of UGRC
This course introduces students to the field of African Studies including Africa’s histories, peoples and cultures. It begins with a general introduction to the discipline, its history and values; continues with an introduction to Gender Studies in Africa; and thereafter students select from an extensive and diverse menu of ‘electives’. While all students take the general introduction and the introduction to gender, students are registered into the electives that they will take in the second half of the semester.
The general introduction serves as the springboard from which to launch the entire course.
Objectives of the course:
- To help students appreciate the contemporary value of African Studies as an area of enquiry.
- To help students engage with discourses on African realities.
- To encourage students to appreciate the African Identity.
- To help students develop a sense of Self Determination in the global world.
- To make students aware of the negative stereotypes about Africa and to encourage them to challenge these stereotypes.
- To help students develop appropriate methodologies and frameworks for examining Africa and its past through multi-disciplinary approaches.
- To highlight some of Africa’s contributions to world civilizations and knowledge generation.
- To enhance students’ knowledge in specific areas of African Humanities and Social Sciences
The overall introduction covers three weeks, including two hours of lectures, and one hour of tutorials per week.
Introduction to Gender
The main objective of this two week introduction (four hour), is to help students appreciate the gendered nature of African societies, how this impacts development, and state as well ascivil society responses to gender inequalities. Thiscomponent explains key concepts in African gender studies and explains why and how we address gender issues in African studies. This component of the course also makes a case for transforming gender relations on the basis of three justifications: (1) citizenship rights and the constitution, (2) development imperatives, and (3) the promotion of gender equitable cultures. The role of individual and group agency and leadership in changing gender relations will be highlighted.
The introduction to gender covers three weeks, including two hours of lectures, and one hour of tutorialsper week. Also included is a practical activity, typically a film show.
At the end of the first 6 weeks students take part in a continuous assessment exercise.
Elective Component:
In the second half of the semester students join one of 19 pre-selected “elective” classes, each of which is described below. An examination for each of these is carried out at the end of the sem
University of Ghana Institute of African Studies Admissions
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University of Ghana Institute of African Studies Contacts
Contact Us
| Administrative Secretary | Director’s Secretary |
| Insitute of African Studies University of Ghana P. O. Box LG 73 Legon Telephone: +233-302-213850/+233-303-213820 ext 2051 Email: [email protected] |
Insitute of African Studies University of Ghana P. O. Box LG 73 Legon Telephone: +233-302-213850/+233-302-213820 ext 2048 Email: [email protected] |