Center for Indian Studies in Africa (CISA)

The University of Witwatersrand recently founded this intriguing new initiative and I look forward to reading some of their most recent contributions to the field of Indian Ocean and African Studies. A center like this only reinforces that Africa as a continent has never existed 'unto itself' but has participated in a global conversation for thousands of years, with India being an integral part of that history. Unfortunately as with many things in academia, the roster of academics represented is far too white. It looks like it also primarily focused on South Africa (no surprise). Nevertheless, its worth the time to check out some of their initiatives. Their research framework is:
* Comparisons between India and South Africa on historical and current issues and challenges
* Connections between India and South Africa and the rest of Africa
* Cosmopolitanism, or the formation of a transnational public sphere encompassing the Indian Ocean
* Collaborations in applied research supporting policy and innovation for development

Sounds promising...