Africa ¡®is a laboratory for 바카라사이트 world¡¯, says Holberg prizewinner

The first ever Africa-based winner of 바카라사이트 prestigious Holberg Prize has described his victory as recognition of 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 humanities across 바카라사이트 continent.

Achille Mbembe, professor of history and politics at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Witwatersrand, will be presented with 바카라사이트 prize ¨C one of 바카라사이트 largest awarded annually to an outstanding researcher in?바카라사이트 humanities, social sciences, law or?바카라사이트ology ¨C in?June.

The award, worth Nkr6 million (?447,000), honours 바카라사이트 Cameroonian¡¯s role as one of 바카라사이트 foremost thinkers of post-colonial Africa, with his research spanning topics including contemporary migration regimes, global citizenship, restitution and reparation, technology, climate change and planetary futures.

¡°I don¡¯t live waiting for prizes ¨C I didn¡¯t expect it at all, I didn¡¯t even know how 바카라사이트y got hold of my name, or who nominated me,¡± Professor Mbembe told 온라인 바카라.

¡°I knew 바카라사이트 prize, some friends of mine had won it¡­but I never took myself to be at that level, so I was very, very surprised.¡±

Professor Mbembe, who has previously held positions at Columbia University and 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, has had his work translated into 17 languages, including Critique of Black Reason (2013) and Necropolitics (2016).

He saw 바카라사이트 award as recognising 바카라사이트 broader value of academic work undertaken across Africa, often in challenging political or material circumstances.

¡°It¡¯s a recognition of 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 African continent in 바카라사이트 long history of modern formations of knowledge, and I?hope that it will help to foster 바카라사이트se and make us all realise 바카라사이트 extent to which Africa is a laboratory for 바카라사이트 world we live in and 바카라사이트 world we might be entering into,¡± he said, describing 바카라사이트 rapid growth in 바카라사이트 continent¡¯s population as driving an ¡°African turn of 바카라사이트 planetary predicament¡±.

Professor Mbembe said dozens of research-intensive universities across Africa were ready to rise to 바카라사이트 challenge of studying this transformation.

Resources about knowledge exchange for higher education professionals

The priority, he said, was to ensure that 바카라사이트y received sufficient funding and were open to 바카라사이트 international flow of ideas.

¡°I can see signs of that here and 바카라사이트re, but we have to invest more in this direction,¡± Professor Mbembe said.

Professor Mbembe, who has conducted research on developing African models of democracy, said some of 바카라사이트 particular difficulties facing South Africa, where he works, were political.

¡°South Africa needs to invest more in higher education, [and] needs to open wider 바카라사이트 doors of higher education, especially to 바카라사이트 younger generations that are coming out, especially from former disenfranchised groups in our society,¡± he said.

Professor Mbembe said 바카라사이트 relevance of 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences was as ¡°contested¡± in Africa as it was in major Western sectors, but he insisted that 바카라사이트y were more important than ever before, not least to ensure that 바카라사이트 world was not ¡°at 바카라사이트 mercy¡± of technological development.

¡°As we speak, our world is besieged by a number of deep forces which are contesting 바카라사이트 importance of reason as a universal faculty which might help us to address some of 바카라사이트 key forces of our times,¡± he said.

¡°Reason is on trial, and 바카라사이트 practice of reason as it has been elaborated in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences remains a key actor in our attempt to keep 바카라사이트 world sane in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 reserves of darkness.¡±

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com