Course syllabus
Past and present popular heroes: A SOTRAMA bus driver in Bamako (Mali), showcasing
the revolutionary Che Guevara and the coupist-president Assimi Goïta. In August 2020,
Assimi Goïta seized power after a popular mobilization against then President Keïta.
Photo: Sten Hagberg
Welcome to the course in African History, Society, and Culture 7,5hp
Link: Schedule in Time Edit here
The schedule for the whole course is available here
During this course you will have a unique opportunity to get more knowledge of and deeper insights into Africa's historical developments from a perspective of present-day society and culture.
You can find the detailed schedule for the first module (7.5hp) here; and a course outline for the whole semester here. Note that minor changes, for example in the reading list of later lectures, can still occur.
The teachers are researchers and other professionals with long first-hand experience of researching and working in African countries and/or with African issues. This course is being offered by researchers affiliated with different departments at Uppsala University, with the Forum for Africa Studies (an inter-disciplinary centre whose purpose is to support research on, in, and with African at Uppsala University - see also the events organized by the Forum and follow its Facebook page to get updated information); and with the Nordic Africa Institute (a Swedish public agency, funded by several Nordic governments, whose mission is to function as a knowledge hub for collaborative research, library services and communication, and to support a deeper understanding of contemporary African perspectives, challenges and opportunities).
The teaching is composed of lectures, seminars, group discussions, study visits and possibly round-tables and/or other public events.
We expect you to be actively engaged and always present at all our course events. This is key for the learning process, and it makes the course more lively and interactive.
Presentations (power-point, etc.) can be used for learning purposes, but should not be spread beyond the class-room, be it virtual or physical.
The course is examined through home exams, that is, you should write essay answers to a number of questions by drawing on the literature and the lectures and seminars.
The course starts on Monday 19 January at 10:15-12:00 with a course introduction. It is very important that you attend the course introduction. But prior to that, please take some time to explore this virtual study site. We will update more and more the coming weeks.
Don't forget to register yourself on the course
To start the course, you need to be registered. Go to Ladok for students to register. It is not enough that you are only admitted to the course. On the page Admissions and registration there are instructions on how you do this. The registration period is open 11 December 2025-11 January 2026.
Study Support
If you need special support in your studies, you need to obtain a certificate to receive it, a so-called NAIS certificate. You can read more and apply for support on our student page Study Support. If you have questions, contact Uppsala University’s coordinators for targeted study support. Apply as early as possible after you have registered on the course. That way you will get help the fastest.
Welcome and good luck!
At the crossroads of Av. Julius Nyerere and Av. Mao Tsé Tung, Maputo, Mozambique. Street names are remnants of the postcolonial trajectories. The same goes for cities and countries. For instance, the Mozambican capital Maputo was called Lourenço Marques during Portuguese colonialism. Marques was a 16th-century Portuguese trader and explorer. At Independence in 1975, the city became Maputo. Photo: Sten Hagberg.