Fall 2014 is a special time for the Yale Africa Initiative: this semester follows an action-packed summer of engagement with Africa on campus and on the continent. In partnership with the Yale Club of Washington DC, we hosted a cocktail event that brought together just over 30 alumni and friends of Yale. The partnerships and support that we have from our alumni is instrumental to the success of the initiative.

A variety of stimulating Africa events are already slated for this fall. Through these events, we aim to continue to encourage our community at Yale to interact with Africa in a multitude of ways, from intellectual engagements with prominent African leaders like former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga to artistic opportunities such as the recent Yale University Art Gallery exhibit "Contemporary Art/South Africa" (which ran from May 9th-September 14th, 2014). Our new cohort of African students have arrived full of energy and enthusiasm, and we can't wait to see how they enrich the Yale community. We hope you'll continue to support them and the Yale Africa Initiative as we enter a new academic year.

- Rachel Nyaradzo Adams, Associate Director for Africa

MacMillan Center Director Talks Foreign Affairs in Uganda

Ian Shapiro, Sterling Professor of Political Science and Director of the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale, gave two public lectures this summer at the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) in Kampala, Uganda. Professor Shapiro discussed topics such as foreign intervention and incorporated lessons learned using popular examples. Professor Shapiro also hosted a discussion with PhD students at MISR. More >>

Yale Professor Discusses Agriculture in Ethiopia

Christopher Udry, Henry Heinz II Professor of Economics and Chair of the Council for African Studies, presented the Marschack Lecture at the inaugural meeting of the Econometric Society Africa Region in Ethiopia and at the 2014 Africa Growth Forum in Ghana. Professor Udry discussed how important increasing agricultural productivity in Africa is to unlocking its growth potential. Watch the talk here >>

Yale Young African Scholars Program Premieres in Ghana and Ethiopia

This summer, the Yale Young African Scholars (YYAS) program, developed by African Yale students, was successfully launched in Ghana and Ethiopia. YYAS is a program for high-achieving African secondary students that includes a rigorous academic curriculum and college preparation workshops. YYAS helped familiarize African youth with Yale and connect Yale administrators and faculty with potential students. More >>

Yale Lecturer Gives Investment Talk in Ghana

This summer, global equity investor and Ethics, Politics, and Economics lecturer Vikram Mansharamani spoke to Yale alumni in Ghana at the nation's eighth annual Festival of Ideas. He gave a timely talk on "Boombustology: Spotting Financial Bubbles before They Burst." The talk received extensive coverage in the Ghanaian media, including a dozen citations on major news websites. More >>

The Mandela Washington Fellowship Brought 25 African Leaders to Yale

This summer, Yale was one of 20 U.S. universities chosen to host President Barack Obama's Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The Yale World Fellows program hosted the fellowship at Yale, coordinating six weeks of learning, networking, and cultural exchange for 25 young African CEOs, entrepreneurs, and innovators. More >>

Nigerian Leadership Initiative Fellows Seminar at Yale

Yale has partnered with the Nigerian Leadership Initiative (NLI) to develop a curriculum for the NLI Fellows Seminar, a leadership development program for influential members of the NLI Fellows network. Yale faculty will facilitate the six-day program, which will include discussions, presentations, and project-oriented workshops. The program will be held on campus from October 26th to November 1st, 2014. More >>

Music Brings Yale Band to Ghana

In July, the Yale Percussion Group and Yale Concert Band traveled to Ghana to study traditional Ghanaian drumming, document the music, and share their research with local drummers at the University of Cape Coast. That trip culminated in two collaborative concerts, dubbed Nkonsonkonson "Unity" Concerts, featuring the two Yale groups, ensembles from the University of Ghana, Legon, and even Ghana's National Symphony Orchestra. More >>

To see the schedule of upcoming Yale Africa events taking place both on campus and on the continent, click here >>