In this spring edition, you will see highlights from President Salovey's recent visit to Nigeria and a roundup of stories from around campus and beyond. In this challenging moment, we are reminded of our common humanity and the immeasurable value of our global connections. It is through collaboration that we will effectively address the most pressing global challenges. As we all navigate these unprecedented times due to the Coronavirus pandemic we wish you safety and good health in weeks and months ahead.

- Eddie Mandhry, Director for Africa and the Middle East
Yale African Faculty Respond to COVID-19

Professor Elijah Paintsil on How COVID-19 Threatens Health Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

Dr. Elijah Paintsil, Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) at the Yale School of Public Health, writes about the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on an already fragile health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in a Viewpoint article published in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.  More >>
Spotlight
An Interview with Professor Clare Muhoro, PhD '99

Recently, we interviewed Professor Clare Muhoro, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Towson University. She received a Ph.D. in Organometallic Chemistry from Yale University in 1999.

She remarked, "Those six years, for me, were just magical. And the more time passes, the more magical it seems. I suppose there's a bit of nostalgia at this point. But, it really was pivotal." More >>
The Sanneh Institute Launch

On Saturday, February 29, over 1100 guests filled the Great Hall of the University of Ghana in Accra, to celebrate the inauguration of The Sanneh Institute. In attendance were Christian and Muslim scholars, diplomats, religious leaders, students, family, and invited guests from West Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Unites States. More >>
Zambian, Namwali Serpell, Wins the 2020 Windham Campbell Prize in Fiction

Namwali Serpell is a Zambian writer who lives and teaches in the United States. Her short story "The Sack" (2015) won the Caine Prize in African Fiction, and her first novel, The Old Drift, was published to global acclaim. She reimagines the transmission of modern history through the commingled lives of her Zambian characters, writing unerringly sure prose and re-enchanting the contemporary novel in the process. More >>

Yale Talk Podcast Focuses on HAPPINESS Project in Nigeria

Yale Talk, a monthly podcast hosted by President Peter Salovey, focused a recent episode on the HAPPINESS Project which aims to increase access to mental health services in Nigeria.  More >>
Students Host Second-Annual Yale Africa Film Fest

Complete with question and answer sessions, a networking cocktail event and more, the second annual Yale Africa Film Festival showcased films of Africa and its diaspora.

Organized by the Council on African Studies and the Yale African Graduate & Professional Students, the festival aimed to expand perspectives on Africa on campus and amplify positive imagery of Africa. More >>
Physicians of Worldwide Impact

When Associate Professor Frank Minja traveled to Tanzania, East Africa in 2014 to help set up a modern radiology department on the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) campus, he knew the task would be complex and demanding. More >>
Yale Africa Initiative Brochure

The Yale Africa Initiative is a university-wide effort to prioritize and expand Yale's commitment to Africa. We invite you to learn more about the programs, partnerships, and collaborations that comprise the initiative by viewing the "Yale and Africa" brochure, published in January 2020.  More >>

    President Salovey's Trip to Nigeria, January 2020

President Salovey Visits Nigeria to Expand Partnerships

President Salovey arrived in Nigeria on January 15 to continue his leadership of the Yale Africa Initiative, a long-term, university-wide commitment to enhance Yale's ongoing bilateral engagement with African institutions.  More >>
Yale Leadership Forum Amplifies Influence of Next Generation of African Women Leaders

Yale University, in partnership with Fundación Mujeres por África and Banco Santander, convened the Women's Leadership Forum in Lagos. It brought together women leaders from across the continent to foster relationships between one generation of African women and the next, and to serve as a catalyst for open dialogue.  More >>

Spreading HAPPINESS in Nigeria: Yale, Partners Expand Mental Health Program

During President Peter Salovey's visit to Lagos, he met with officials to finalize plans to expand the HAPPINESS Project (Health Action for Psychiatric Problems In Nigeria including Epilepsy and Substances), an ongoing Yale partnership with the government of Imo State, Nigeria.  More >>
In the Media: Techpoint Africa Covers President Salovey's Visit

During Yale President Peter Salovey's trip to Nigeria he visited Techpoint, the largest tech media agency in Africa, where he participated in a town hall-style meeting and interactive discussion with key leaders in the Lagos technology entrepreneurship ecosystem.  More >>
Lagos Business School's Team Competes in Global Network Investment Competition

The Global Network Investment Competition, hosted by the Yale School of Management, is a one-of-a-kind annual contest that enhances the study of equity investments. This year's competition comprised of 24 student teams from top business schools around the globe which are members of the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM).  More >>

Speaking in Lagos, Nigeria, on January 17, Yale University President Peter Salovey announced that Yale will co-sponsor two upcoming meetings of the African Linguistics School, which is devoted to collaborative training and research on generative linguistics in Africa.  More >>

    Faculty News

What's Dirty? English Professor Explores the Question in Lagos

Dirt and dirtiness are ubiquitous - but the ways we conceive of it vary in ways both cultural and personal. In her new book, "Histories of Dirt: Media and Urban Life in Colonial and Postcolonial Lagos", Yale English Professor Stephanie Newell examines how and why spaces and people in that Nigerian city have been labeled "unclean". More >>

Colin Coleman Appointed Senior Fellow

Colin Coleman, the former chief executive officer of Sub-Saharan Africa for Goldman Sachs, and former head of the firm's Johannesburg office, has been named a Senior Fellow and Lecturer at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs effective January 2020 for the coming calendar year. More >>
Professor Christine Ngaruiya Selected Inaugural Cohort of the WomenLift Health Women Leaders in Global Health program

Professor Ngaruiya was selected as 1 of 24 women nationally in the US as part of the inaugural cohort of the WomenLift HealthWomen Leaders in Global Health program supported by the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. More >>