SCHOLARS FROM NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, ASIA, AND AFRICA 
HAVE CONCLUDED FOUR DAYS OF DISCUSSIONS ON POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, 
AND SOCIAL TRENDS IN AFRICA. FROM SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, THE 
MEETING ENDED WITH A CALL FOR GREATER COOPERATION AMONG SCHOLARS 
IN AFRICA AND THOSE ON OTHER CONTINENTS.

THE 39TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AFRICAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION
ATTRACTED ABOUT ONE-THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS TO THIS WEST COAST CITY
TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE LATEST RESEARCH ON AFRICA AND FUTURE 
TRENDS.

THE OUTGOING PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION SAID AFRICAN STUDIES AS
AN ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE COULD EXPERIENCE A DECLINE IN GOVERNMENT 
AND PRIVATE FUNDING IN RESEARCH IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

BUT IRIS BERGER SAID AFRICAN STUDIES ARE STILL RELEVANT.

         ALTHOUGH CHANGES IN THE FUNDING CLIMATE PROVIDE AN 
         INEVITABLE CONTEXT FOR OUR WORK, AFRICAN STUDIES HAS ITS
         OWN MOMENTUM THAT WILL CONTINUE TO SHAPE THE FIELD, 
         CONTRIBUTING INSIGHTS INTO SUCH PRESSING CONCERNS AS  
         SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOCRATIZATION, AND ONGOING
         CHALLENGES TO YOUR OFFENSIVE PERSPECTIVES IN THE 
         DISCIPLINE. AT THE SAME TIME, RESEARCH AND LITERATURE 
         IN THE ARTS WILL HIGHLIGHT CULTURAL CREATIVITY THAT 
         CONTRASTS WITH THE GLOOMY PORTRAIT OF POLITICAL AND 
         ECONOMIC ANALYSTS, WHILE SCHOLARSHIP ON THE DIASPORA 
         WILL STRENGTHEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CONNECTIONS BETWEEN
         AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND AFRICA.

LIZ BERGER SAID SHE HOPES THAT INCREASING TECHNOLOGICAL 
SOPHISTICATION WILL ALLOW SCHOLARS IN NORTH AMERICA TO MEET THE 
CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE THROUGH MORE INTENSIVE AND FRUITFUL 
COLLABORATION IN RESEARCH WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES IN AFRICA.

BUT THE RESEARCH METHODS THEMSELVES WERE CALLED INTO QUESTION BY 
ANOTHER SPEAKER.

THANDIKA MKANDAWIRE IS A FORMER HEAD OF ONE OF AFRICA'S FOREMOST 
RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS, THE "COUNCIL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 
SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN AFRICA."

MR. MKANDAWIRE, WHO WAS BORN IN MALAWI, SPOKE OF DISCONTENT AMONG
AFRICAN SCHOLARS ON THE CONTINENT OVER SOME OF THE RESEARCH 
METHODS OF SCHOLARS IN NORTH AMERICA WHO STUDY AND TEACH ABOUT 
AFRICA.

HE SAID AFRICAN SCHOLARS ARE UNHAPPY BECAUSE THEY FEEL THEY ARE 
BEING MARGINALIZED BY NON-AFRICAN SCHOLARS WHO CONTROL ACCESS TO 
RESEARCH FUNDING.

MR. MKANDAWIRE CALLS FOR GREATER COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO 
GROUPS, INCLUDING A MORE SIGNIFICANT ROLE BY AFRICANS IN DEFINING
AND DEVELPING RESEARCH PRIORITIES.

26-Nov-96
Source: Voice of America

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