Cluster of Excellence EXC 2052 - "Africa Multiple: Reconfiguring African Studies"
The success story of African Studies at the University of Bayreuth continues to unfold: the Cluster of Excellence Africa Multiple: Reconfiguring African Studies, established in 2019, has successfully competed in a rigorous selection process and will receive funding for an additional seven years. This decision has sparked widespread celebration in Bayreuth and across the African Cluster locations, as it now paves the way for the implementation of a collaborative and ambitious research programme with new thematic focuses.
Since its establishment in 2019, the Bayreuth Cluster of Excellence has been dedicated to reshaping African research through collaborative efforts with African researchers, adopting an interdisciplinary and globally networked approach. In close collaboration with four partner universities across the African continent, the University of Bayreuth has focused on themes such as ‘Art and Aesthetics,’ ‘Knowledge,’ ‘Mobilities,’ ‘Affiliation,’ ‘Moralities,’ and ‘Learning,’ aiming to pioneer innovative forms of knowledge production in African studies. This collaboration has established entirely new benchmarks for cooperation in recent years.
In its second funding phase set to commence in January 2026, ‘Africa Multiple,’ will further intensify this academic collaboration, aiming to elevate the reorganization of African studies to new heights. The forthcoming thematic areas ‘Digitalities,’ ‘Ecologies,’ ‘Accumulation,’ ‘Insecurities,’ ‘Remembering,’ and ‘Translating’ have been collectively developed by researchers across the five Cluster locations. Targeted initiatives will enhance interdisciplinarity, promote gender equality and diversity in research, and improve joint research data management. The establishment of joint platforms to support early-career scholars and facilitate mobility between locations seeks to build sustainable structures enduring beyond the funding period. As a result, the cluster will play an even more pivotal role in shaping the University of Bayreuth’s internationalization strategy and driving its continued advancement. Consequently, African Studies at the University of Bayreuth is solidifying its position as a hub for innovative academic dialogue and further cementing its place on the academic landscape.
To foster nuanced, multi-perspective understandings of Africa, the Cluster of Excellence continues its partnership with four African universities, established in 2019: The University of Lagos (Nigeria), Moi University (Eldoret, Kenya), Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso), and Rhodes University (Makhanda, South Africa). These institutions are far more than mere local branches; rather, scholars from diverse locations will collaborate closely as Africa Multiple Research Centres (AMRCs) in all forthcoming research projects undertaken by the Cluster. Together, they will engage in reflective research, collectively gather and analyse data, and collaboratively train a new generation of young researchers, thereby unlocking new insights into the diversity of Africa and its diasporas.