University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, October 2014

Almost one year after the Kick-off workshop in Hannover, the fellows met at the University of Dar es Salaam to assess the status of their projects in regards to both content and administrative questions. In addition, the workshop offered a platform for the fellows to meet and exchange with colleagues and young researchers of the College of Humanities on opportunities and challenges of the Humanities in Africa. This allowed for both parties to enter into dialogue and network between junior and senior researchers of different African universities.

This did not only enable the fellows to make their research projects known to a wider academic public and to benefit from its comments and advice. It also provided prospects for young academics at their home Universities and helped establish sustainable trans-national and trans-regional academic networks between African institutions. Through this, the workshop facilitated the Volkswagen Foundation’s declared purpose to not only support career development strategies of individual young African researchers, but to also strengthen and enhance academic networks inside Africa.

The hosts had also organized an excursion which led to sites of political, historical and archeological importance, such as the former trade city Bagamoyo and the camp of the African liberation movement FRELIMO.