Workgroups

What is a workgroup and how does it work?

Workgroups should be initiated by Junior Fellows and meet their particular needs. Of course Postdocs can help with inspiration and organisation of these interdisciplinary Workgroups. A Workgroup is meant to be a forum of discussion; its organisation is up to you. You choose the topics and the thematic or methodological orientation you want to give to your discussions - it all depends on your interests and needs. You choose the format: texts readings, round tables, mini conferences and finally you determine the frequency of the meetings. Junior Fellows, from any Research Area and at any stage of their work, who are interested in a common topic may gather to exchange thoughts about it.

The Workgroups are part of the requirements of the PhD programme at BIGSAS.

Current Workgroups

22 workgroups are formed or planned so far. Registrations are currently open and any interested person is encouraged to join:

• Aesthetics

• Afrofuturism

• Bayreuth Work Group on Governance in Africa

• BIGSAS Thesis Reading Group

• Career Day – Perspectives after the doctorate

• ClimateCultureSpace

• Conceptualizing mobile knowledge in African contexts 

• Economics of Africa

• Environment-Society Interface in Africa

• Family and Youth

• HIV/AIDS from a Social and Cultural point of View

• Methodology of research and scientific writing in African literatures

• Performativity and Mediality in an African context

• Place-Making, Belonging and Continuity

• Postcolonialism?

• Reading Radical Constructivism

• Religion in Contemporary Africa

• Sexualities that matter: Queering in Africa

• State-Society Relations

• The Making of Meaning: Theories and Methods in Communication

• Tourism in Africa: Chances and Challenges

• Tracks and Traces of Violence

Previous Workgroups:

• Uncertainty and Trust

• Writing Academic English

• Youth