DAAS Welcomes University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars
University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars Program (UMAPS)
DAAS Welcomes University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars.The DAAS community extends a hearty welcome to the 2011-2012 University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS). This program, which is in its fourth year, supports early career scholars from universities in South Africa, Ghana, Liberia, and Uganda who wish to spend four to six months at the University of Michigan in order to conduct academic research. By fostering scholarly exchanges and collaboration between students and faculty at the University of Michigan and those at African universities, the program nurtures the current generation of scholars from Africa and enhances partnerships among scholars from different countries.The UMAPS program is coordinated and managed by the African Studies Center at the International Institute with generous financial support from DAAS’s own South African Initiatives Office. This year, fourteen UMAPS scholars representing diverse disciplinary interests from early childhood education to the integration of traditional painting methods and digital media are currently in residence. Several DAAS faculty, including Elisha Renne, Adam Ashforth, Martin Murray, and Derek Peterson, are serving as mentors or are collaborating with the scholars on projects of mutual interest. In follow-up interviews, former UMAPS scholars expressed great appreciation for the library facilities, the support given by their mentors and the staff at UM, the opportunities to share their research, and even the Michigan weather! They spoke of their personal
development as scholars and as faculty members. According to Emmanuel Danquah from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, “The University of Michigan was a life-changing experience.” The African Studies Center is now accepting applications for the 2012-2013 academic year.
Information on eligibility and the application process can be found at http://www.ii.umich.edu/asc/ .
