Call for Proposals

Call for proposals:

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As the continent holding 30% of the world’s natural resources, 10% of the planet’s internal renewable fresh water source and home to the youngest and fastest-growing population, Africa enjoys a unique global positioning (United Nations, 2024; United Nations Environment Programme, 2024; Population Reference Bureau, 2025). For many centuries, Africa has and continues to make pivotal contributions to world civilisation in the spheres of education, arts, music, science, technology and innovation (Bob-Miller, 2021). Indeed, Africa’s mineral reserves are critical to the global shift towards renewable energy and a green economy. By 2050, Africa’s young population is projected to comprise a quarter of the global labour force. Such contributions, however, tend to be overshadowed by the plethora of predicaments the continent must contend with, including global warming, rapid technological transformations and Western-dominated economic and governance structures. These dynamics illustrate how global problems are embedded in African experiences.

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The notion of Global Africa aims to capture these tensions (West, 2005), that is, the tension between promise and precarity, opportunity and constraint, while reflecting the aspirations of a continent navigating a rapidly shifting economic and political landscape. Tied to this are the growing presence of emerging powers such as Brazil, China, and India, nations that are also competing for resources and political influence across the continent (Ewalefoh, 2021).

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In the face of these changes, several questions arise: How can Africa strategically leverage these geopolitical shifts and, in so doing, escape a new ”Scramble for Africa”? How can the continent harness the vast potential of its greatest asset, its vibrant youth, to advance sustainable development? And how can we recover and adopt Indigenous African knowledge systems to confront global challenges (e.g., sociopolitical, environmental, etc.)?

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Building on the thematic focus of past gatherings: “Making, Unmaking and Remaking of Africa” (2025), and Sustainability and Sustainable Development: Past, Present and Futures” (2024), this year’s CAAS conference theme, “Global Africa: Legacies, Change, and Aspirations”, invites a broad spectrum of papers that address these issues and beyond from historical, contemporary, and imaginative or forward-looking perspectives. We welcome Africanist academics, independent researchers, policy-makers, practitioners, and community organisations on the continent and in the Diaspora to submit analytical, theoretical, empirical and policy-oriented contributions that will spark rich intellectual conversations about the meaning, possibilities and limits of Global Africa; however, one chooses to define it.

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While CAAS is eager to receive papers that critically engage with the conference theme from diverse perspectives, we also encourage multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary contributions that push the boundaries of African studies across its many fields.

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References

• Bob-Milliar, G. M. (2021). Africa’s contributions to world civilization. In The Palgrave Handbook of Africa and the Changing Global Order (pp. 25-42). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
• Engel, U., Middell, M., Simo, D., & Werthmann, K. (2017). Africa in the globalizing world–A research agenda. Comparativ, 27(1), 98-110.
• Ewalefoh, J. (2021). The new scramble for Africa. In The Palgrave Handbook of Africa and the changing global order (pp. 309-322). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
• Population Reference Bureau (2025). 2024 World Population Data Sheet: Africa Overview – Trends in Africa. https://2024-wpds.prb.org/africa/
• United Nations Environment Programme. (2024, February 12). Our work in Africa. https://www.unep.org/regions/africa/our-work-africa
• West, M. O. (2005). Global Africa: The emergence and evolution of an idea. Review (Fernand Braudel Center), 28(1), 85–108.

Individual Papers

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All submissions must identify the subtheme(s) under which the paper best fits. For multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary papers that span more than one category, please select up to two subthemes that are most relevant.

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Subthemes

1. The History of Africa and the African Diaspora
2. The Anthropology and Archaeology of Africa
3. Decolonisation and Postcoloniality
4. African Politics, State Formation and Governance
5. Conflict, Peace, and Security
6. International Relations of Africa
7. Law, Crime, and Legal Institutions
8. Human Rights, Social Movements, and Activism
9. Natural Resource Governance, Extraction, and Just Transition  
10. Urbanisation and Informal Economies
11. Migration, Refugees, and Humanitarianism
12. The Human Geography of Africa
13. Sustainable Development
14. Macro-Economic Policies
15. Schooling, Education and Pedagogies
16. Youth, Family, and Intergenerational Relations
17. Identity, Race, and Ethnicity
18. Religion and Spirituality
19. African Languages and Literature
20. Indigenous African Knowledge Systems and Oral Traditions
21. African Art, Music, and Popular Culture
22. Media, Communication, and Digital Cultures
23. African Feminisms, Womanism and Sexualities
24. African Diaspora, Mobility and Transnationalism
25. Afrofuturism and African Futures
26. Technology, Science, Infrastructure and Innovation Economies
27. Climate Change, Adaptation and Environmental Justice
28. Food Systems and Agriculture
29. Health, Medicine, and Pandemic Response

Individual papers should be submitted directly through the Oxford Abstracts platform. Each submission must include

• Paper title
• Abstract of 250–300 words (clearly outlining the research question, methodology, and main arguments)
• Author’s name, institutional affiliation, and email address
• Selection of up to two relevant subthemes from the list provided

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Panels

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Panels consist of formal paper presentations on a specific topic, followed by an audience Q&A. A panel includes a chair, up to five paper presenters, and an optional discussant. Panels must have at least four participants and three papers.

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Panels are pre-formed, meaning organisers must submit all paper titles, abstracts, and participant information. Multi-part panel proposals are welcome and encouraged. These must share a common title, be submitted under the same subtheme, and be clearly numbered in sequence (e.g., Indigenous African Cosmologies, Part I; Indigenous African Cosmologies, Part II)

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Important:

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‍On the Oxford Abstracts platform, the panel organiser must submit the proposal as a single entry. This means the organiser will be responsible for gathering and entering

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• A panel title and abstract (250–300 words) outlining the theme and goals
• Titles and abstracts (250–300 words each) for all individual papers.
• The names, affiliations, and email addresses of all panel participants
• Identification of the panel chair and optional discussant

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Multi-part panel proposals are welcome and encouraged. These must share a common title, be submitted under the same subtheme, and be clearly numbered in sequence (e.g., Indigenous African Cosmologies, Part I; Indigenous African Cosmologies, Part II). 

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Roundtables

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Roundtables foster interactive discussion around a central theme. They consist of a chair and up to five participants. Unlike panels, roundtables do not include formal paper titles or presentations. Like panels, roundtables must be pre-formed, and organisers are required to submit full information for all participants.

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Important:

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On the Oxford Abstracts platform, the roundtable organiser must submit the entire proposal as a single entry. This means the organiser will be responsible for providing

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• The roundtable title and abstract (250–300 words) describing the theme and key questions
• The names, affiliations, and email addresses of all roundtable participants
• Identification of the roundtable chair

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Special Submission

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This category invites proposals for hands-on workshops, film or documentary screenings, theatre performances, art exhibitions, and other creative activities

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