“African Connections” is the 2018 conference theme of the African Studies Association in Germany (VAD e.V.). Under the congress’s general theme, we seek to discuss the extremely rich history of entanglements, connectivities, and exchanges the African continent has with the rest of the world. Connections exist on various levels and scales, from the individual to the global. They have different forms and ranges, they involve various human and nonhuman entities, and they change with time and they are valued differently according to the context. Translocal and transnational relations within Africa as well as between Africa and other world regions include a wide spectrum of historical as well as recent entanglements, economic links, social networks, political connections, and new virtual communities. They include ties between rural and urban Africa as well as historical and contemporary alliances between and across regions. Connections enable new modes of expression by providing social, spatial and imaginary mobilities, as well as links to global arenas and diasporas.

This conference looks at African connections in the past and the present. It aims to discuss and compare how processes of connecting and deconnecting are and were done in and with Africa, and to question received assumptions and narrations about African connections and Africa’s delayed participation in the new social order of the global.

Following an excellent response to our earlier Call for Panels, we now cordially invite proposals for individual papers.

We are looking forward to your proposals for contributions to more than 60 panels! Please find all panels in alphabetical order on the following website: https://vad-africanconnections.de/panels/

All paper proposals (maximum 250 words) must be submitted by email directly to the panel convenors by 30 November 2017.

Proposals will be provisionally accepted or rejected by 31 January 2018.

For information about the biennial African Studies Association Germany (VAD e.V.) conference 2018, please contact us at VAD2018@uni-leipzig.de