About

The units of African Linguistics, Literatures in African Languages, African and Afrophone Philosophies, as well as African Languages and the Construction of Knowledge make up a team group working closely together in terms of research and teaching.

In our multidisciplinary research, we cooperate with a network of renowned international partners as well as with our colleagues from the Institute of African Studies in Bayreuth. The staff of African Linguistics and Literatures in African languages have always played a pivotal role in collaborative research in African Studies at the University of Bayreuth. For example, in collaborative research projects  such as SFB/FK 560 "Local Action in Africa in the Context of Global Influences", and in the creation of the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies, which is funded by the Initiative of Excellency. Members of these units as well as of the new one - African and Afrophone Philosophies, are also part of and collaborating with colleagues in the Cluster Africa Multiple which seeks to realign Bayreuth’s African Studies focus area in close cooperation with African partner institutions. 

We host two English medium study programmes: the BA and the MA African Verbal and Visual Arts are unique programmes, which attract students globally. Students are able to draw on Bayreuth’s unique expertise in African literatures and arts and work closely with colleagues from Romance and Anglophone literatures; Iwalewahaus; Arts and Curational Studies; and Media in Africa. An essential part of the programme is the acquisition of African languages. Currently, we teach Bambara, Hausa, Swahili and Xhosa.

We believe in a close connection between teaching and research. Our research colloquium is the weekly forum, where staff, guest researchers, doctoral, MA and BA students come together to share and discuss current and ongoing research topics. 

Apart from individual workshops or conferences, we host the annual Swahili Colloquium and the Asixoxe Conference.  We also seek to make our knowledge more widely accessible through a number of outreach activities.