MSU and Africa:
A half century of collaboration

Arts and culture

Local children in Qunu, South Africa, enjoy the new exhibit at the Nelson Mandela Museum which MSU faculty, staff and students helped create. Photo by Marit Dewhurst.

Africa is indeed rich in arts and culture. At MSU, we offer many African language courses; the MSU Museum often has exhibits featuring the diversity of African art; and we have a program that provides a wealth of information on African films and videos.

• More than 15 African languages will be taught at MSU during the 2009 summer term as part of the Summer Cooperative African Language Institute program.
• A 2009 exhibit at the MSU Museum, "Tanzania in Deep Time - A View from the Rift Valley," details ongoing research into the "deep time" history of East Africa. More.
• Courses are offered in more than 30 African languages – from Acholi to Zulu. More.
• In 2008, MSU helped celebrate the 90th birthday of former South African President Nelson Mandela with a specially designed exhibit opening and the announcement of a curatorial fellowship at the Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu, South Africa. The exhibit was titled “Dear Mr. Mandela, Dear Ms. Parks: Childrens’ Letters, Global Lessons.” More.

• MATRIX, The Center for Humane Arts, Letters and Social Sciences Online, offers “Exploring Africa,” a curriculum guide for teachers and students.

• The MSU Museum and MSU's Graduate School are sponsoring a new summer fellowship opportunity for graduate students – the Nelson Mandela Museum/Michigan State University Museum Curatorial Fellowship Program.

• Africa Media Program offers an online, comprehensive database of films, videos, and other audio-visual materials concerning Africa as well as education services about African media.The AMP is a project from Michigan State University's African Studies Center.

• The MSU Museum is offering through November 2009 “Threads of Change - The Transformation of West African Textiles.”

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