APSA is pleased to announce Béranger Avohouémè as the first recipient of an Africa Workshops Alumni Networking Grants program. Avohouémè, an alumus of the 2013 Africa Workshop in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, received a $2,000 Professional Development grant in October 2013 to support a two-month residency at the Laboratory for Studies and Research on Social Dynamics and Local Development (LASDEL) in Niamey, Niger. While at LASDEL, Avohouémè plans to participate in a series of research and presentation seminars aiding the completion of his doctoral dissertation on Local Politics and Governance of Rural Land in Western Benin.
APSA's Alumni Networking Grants are available primarily for Africa Workshops alumni. With support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, up to $40,000 is available each year to support their participation in professional development opportunities, facilitate networking potential, and encourage collaboration among scholars and academic institutions across Africa. Applications are now being accepted for three types of grants: professional development grants, workshop grants, and publication grants. Application and program information can be found on the Africa Workshop website at, http://community.apsanet.org/Africa/AlumniGrants. Questions should be directed to Andrew Stinson at africawork shops@apsanet.org.
Béranger Avohouémè (far left) gathers with other 2013 Africa Workshop participants, Kenneth Wald, Taiwo Owoeye, and Aikande Kwayu, at the closing ceremony of the 2013 Africa Workshop in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. (Photo courtesy of Melina Platas Izama.)
2014 Africa Workshop: Call for Participant Applications
In January 2014, APSA will announce a call for applications from individuals who would like to participate in the 2014 Africa Workshop. This two-week workshop will be the seventh in a multiyear series of residential political science workshops in Sub-Saharan Africa. Each year, the program brings together approximately 24 scholars from across the African continent for an intensive seminar or short-course focusing on a substantive theme of interest to political scientists. Previous workshops have been held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (2013); Gaborone, Botswana (2012); Nairobi, Kenya (2011); Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (2010); Accra, Ghana (2009); and Dakar, Senegal (2008).
The workshop is targeted at university and college faculty in the social sciences residing in Africa who are in the early stages of their academic career. Up to four advanced US PhD students will also be accepted. All Workshop Fellows must be actively engaged in a research project related to the workshop theme. The organizers will cover all the costs of participation (travel, lodging, meals, daily stipend, and materials) for up to 26 qualified applicants.
For more information, contact Andrew Stinson at africaworkshops@apsanet.org), or visit the Africa Workshop program website at http://www.apsanet.org /africaworkshops.
