Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Chair in Epistemologies of the Global South with Emphasis on Africa and Vice-Dean of Research in the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence
"Our Master in African Studies: Critical Perspectives on Society, Politics and Culture is top-class, well-conceived, with Africa and Africans at the centre not as objects but subjects of study. Africa is a legitimate epistemic site of knowledge and indeed the cradle of humankind, and this course enables an epistemic travel to Africa.
Interdisciplinarity is the driving force, decolonization and depatriarchization is in-built, and multiplicity of Africa is the intellectual adventure that you experience through and through.
The teaching staff is multi-disciplinary, affording and exposing you to diverse intellectual and academic traditions in African and Africanist scholarship. Thematically, you have a combo. Pedagogically, you will be taken through the pleasures of learning, unlearning and relearning."
What makes our programme unique:
- The freedom to choose your own individual study focus, while centering Africa as an epistemic site of knowledge production
- An interdisciplinary emphasis on the social sciences, combining the insights of sociology and politics, social and cultural anthropology, history, and the study of religion, each with a focus on Africa
- A university on the forefront of interdisciplinary African research in Europe, with dozens of UBT professors and lecturers doing Africa-related research, a vast collection of Africa-specific book and media resources available through the university library, and the prestigious “Africa Multiple” Cluster of Excellence and the Bayreuth Academy of Advanced African Studies making UBT a hub for African Studies
Applications for entry into the programme are accepted each year from 1 March to 15 July. We encourage prospective students to apply early, especially if they need a visa.
Please note: Applicants from outside the EU who have obtained their degree abroad have to first upload the application documents via uni-assist (possible at any time of the year) and undergo a fee-based special procedure. This needs to be done at least 6-8 weeks BEFORE the July 15 deadline.