November 18, 2024 // 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM // 1010 Weiser Hall
The symposium, “Sudan: In The Eye of the Storm,” provides a platform for comprehensive discussion and analysis of the challenges facing Sudan.
The event gathers a diverse group of scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to explore the complex geopolitical, socio-economic, and cultural dynamics influencing Sudan’s present and future. Through panel discussions, keynote addresses, and interactive sessions, attendees will delve into topics such as conflict resolution, human rights, economic development, and cultural heritage preservation. The symposium aims to foster dialogue and knowledge exchange to deepen understanding of Sudan’s realities and explore pathways toward sustainable peace, prosperity, and resilience.
Schedule of Events and Panel Information
8:45 - 9 a.m. » Welcome Remarks by Omolade Adunbi, ASC Director, followed by the keynote speaker introduction
9 - 9:50 a.m. » Keynote Lecture by Khalid Medani
Khalid Mustafa Medani, an associate professor of political science and Islamic studies at McGill University, directs the Institute of Islamic Studies and chairs the African Studies Program. He has taught at Oberlin College and Stanford University.
10 - 11:45 a.m. » Panel Discussion: “Deconstructing the War in the Sudan: Politics and Diplomacy at a Crossroad”
Panelists: Yousif Hassan, Susan Page, Suliman Baldo, Susan Clark
Moderator: Geoff Emberling
Yousif Hassan is an assistant professor at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. His research examines the social, economic, and political implications of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data, with a focus on race, digital technology, and technoscientific capitalism.
Ambassador Susan D. Page is a professor of practice in international diplomacy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy’s Weiser Diplomacy Center and a professor of practice at the University of Michigan Law School.
Suliman Baldo is the executive director of the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker. Previously, he served as a senior policy advisor for the Enough Project and directed the Sudan Democracy First Group, a think tank supporting faster democratization and peace in Sudan.
Susan Lynn Clark is a licensed psychotherapist working in a clinic for underserved populations in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Clark has worked with immigrants and refugees in the US since 1984, teaching language and survival skills and helping with access to higher education.
Geoff Emberling is an associate research scientist at the Kelsey Museum and currently directs archaeological research on ancient Kush at Jebel Barkal in northern Sudan.
12:45 - 2:15 p.m. » Panel Discussion: “Sudan: A Long Ignored Catastrophic Humanitarian Crisis”
Panelists: Banjor Musa, Anawar Mahagoub Ali Mohamed, Nisrin Elamin, Sahra Benjamin, Amani El Jack
Moderator: Kelly Askew
Banjor Musa has over seven years of experience working with diverse and vulnerable populations in various contexts. He is an administrator at the Office of Global Michigan, where he supports the Michigan Immigrant and Refugee Council in advancing opportunities for immigrants and refugees in the state.
Anawar Mahagoub Ali Mohamed, a Sudanese scholar and law graduate, is interested in heritage and archaeology, focusing on local community representation and development. He has co-presented at the Warsaw University International Conference for Nubian Studies.
Nisrin Elamin is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto. She spent over a decade working as an educator, researcher, and organizer in the United States and taught for several years in Tanzania before pursuing a Ph.D.. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, she taught at Bryn Mawr College and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Society of Fellows at Columbia University.
Amani El Jack was the chair of the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies from 2020 to 2023, and currently an affiliated faculty in the PhD Program in Global Governance and Human Security, McCormack Graduate School at University of Massachusetts Boston.
Kelly Askew is the department chair of anthropology and the Niara Sudarkasa Collegiate Professor of Anthropology and Afroamerican and African Studies. She is also a faculty associate at the Center for Political Studies and a courtesy professor at the Law School. Askew holds a doctorate in anthropology from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in music and anthropology from Yale University. Her work spans more than three decades in Tanzania and Kenya.
2:25 - 4:10 p.m. » Panel Discussion: “Prolonged Conflict and Its Regional Implications”
Panelists: Timothy Berke, Laura N. Beny, Chris Tounsel, Husam Mahjoub
Moderator: Martin Murray
Timothy Berke is a PhD candidate in Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at U-M. His research focuses on post-conflict development, forced migration, public health, and collaborative planning. His dissertation examines livelihood opportunities for forcibly displaced persons in urban settings and the impact they have on cities and host communities. Prior to his Ph.D., Berke lived and worked in South Sudan for more than five years and has over twelve years of experience in development programming, evaluation, disaster and refugee response, and public health across Ethiopia, Uganda, Panama, Peru, Kenya, South Sudan, and Colombia.
Laura N. Beny is the Earl Warren DeLano Professor of Law at the University of Michigan. She teaches courses on corporate finance, enterprise organization, international finance, and law and development. She is co-editor of the book Sudan’s Killing Fields: Political Violence and Fragmentation and has published opinion pieces on Africa, particularly Sudan and South Sudan, in international media, including Newsweek International, Africa.com, and Al Jazeera.
Chris Tounsel is an associate professor of history at the University of Washington. He is a historian of modern Sudan with a focus on race and religion as political tools. His first book, Chosen Peoples: Christianity and Political Imagination in South Sudan, was published by Duke University Press in 2021. His articles have appeared in African Studies Review, Journal of African American History, Journal of Africana Religions, and Journal of Religious History.
Husam Mahjoub is a co-founder of Sudan Bukra, an independent non-profit TV channel watched by millions of Sudanese viewers. A telecom professional and activist, he holds master’s degrees from London Business School and Georgia Tech and is currently residing in Austin, Texas, USA. He has published articles on politics, human rights, the economy, and international and cultural affairs.
Martin Murray is a professor at the Taubman College of Urban Planning and DAAS. His research spans urban studies and planning, development, historical sociology, and African studies.
