The Office of the Provost at Gustavus Adolphus College is pleased to announce the creation of an African Studies minor that will be offered to students beginning with the 2012-13 academic year.
The African Studies minor is designed to offer students an opportunity to study the African continent and its peoples through varied courses across the curriculum. The wealth and diversity of cultures and experiences of African peoples and nations will be the focus of those courses.
“Students will be encouraged to critically examine the connections between African phenomena and the heritage that was carried over to the African diaspora in the Americas and other parts of the world,” said Paschal Kyoore, professor of French and Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies (LALACS), as well as director of the African Studies program. “As a program that embraces international experience, it also encourages students to take advantage of opportunities that the College offers to study abroad in an African country.”
African Studies is an interdisciplinary field that engages the historical, political, social, economic, and cultural experiences of Africans and peoples of African descent, as well as the aesthetic dimensions of these experiences through their art and literature. In that, the program enhances the educational development of students and enables them to develop an appreciation for the contributions that Africans have made to world history and civilization. Currently, seven different academic departments are contributing courses to the program including Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, English, Geography, Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology, and History. Courses will be categorized into core courses and complementary courses, and students will be required to take three core courses, two complementary courses and one required course.
“Graduates with an African Studies background can find employment in government, international development agencies, human services in immigrant communities, counseling service, Foreign service, and the Peace Corps among others,” Kyoore said. “Moreover, a major or minor in African Studies helps to develop the whole person as it is the College’s mission to prepare graduates to be educated and well-informed citizens of the world. The program also offers wonderful opportunities for students to develop their critical and analytical skills in assessing the perceptions, understandings, and misunderstandings of African peoples as well as their significant contributions to humankind.”
If you have questions or need more information about the African Studies program at Gustavus, contact Kyoore at 507-933-6078 or paschal@gustavus.edu. Below is a short video interview with Kyoore that explains more about the African Studies program:
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