The University of Florida hosted the Southeast Regional Seminar in African Studies (SERSAS) on March 1, 2025. This annual conference is a partnership between UF’s Center for African Studies and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s African Studies Center. Each year, the conference rotates between the two universities and brings together students and scholars who study Africa from many different angles.
This year’s theme focused on the changing landscape of African Studies. The call for papers encouraged participants to explore new research topics, creative methods, and interdisciplinary approaches. It also asked them to think about the challenges African-based scholars face when it comes to research funding, access to data, and collaboration with institutions outside the continent.
The attendees heard from researchers working in fields like history, media, politics, education, public health, gender studies, and more. The panels featured a wide range of topics, including
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New Media(s)
Naa Akle Okantey (UF), Mukhtar Alabi (University of South Carolina), Danford Zirugo (University of Alabama) -
Changing African Climate(s)
Yvette Essounga Njan (Tuskegee University), Achirri Ismael (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), Audrey Culver-Smith (UF) -
Perspectives on Southern Africa
Laura Cox (UNC-Chapel Hill), Aran McKinnon (Georgia College & State University), Cathy Skidmore-Hess and Grant van den Berg (Georgia Southern University) -
Conflict, Peacebuilding, and Regional Organizations
Joseph Bradshaw (Augusta University), Stephen Burgess (U.S. Air War College, retired) -
Gender & Sexualities
Elisabeth Ayuk-Etang (Xavier University of Louisiana), Taryrn Brown and Oluyemisi Oladejo (UF), Seth Palmer (Christopher Newport University), Louis Zo Rabearison (British School of Madagascar) -
New Histories of West Africa
Giltrecia Head (University of Miami), Raymond Ejikemeuwa (Georgia State University), Nmesoma Ugwu (UF) -
African Studies in/of Africa
Benjamin Hart Fishkin and Bill Ndi (Tuskegee University), Stephen Magu (Norfolk State University), Wycliffe Njororai (Stephen F. Austin State University)
The variety of topics and presenters showed the strength of African Studies as a field that continues to grow and adapt.
A standout feature of the program was the final session, “Health in Africa,” which highlighted current research from graduate students focused on health-related issues in African contexts. The panel showcased the work of Amadou Barrow, Karen Coker, Wambui Gachunga, Fletcher Lawrence, and Bachir Assao Neino, all graduate students from UF. The session included work on maternal and child health, climate-related mental health, infectious diseases, and healthcare access for migrants. It was designed to spark conversation between students working in different areas and encourage interdisciplinary thinking. One participant, Raymond Ejikemeuwa, a Ph.D. student from Georgia State University, said the panel offered “an engaging platform for discussing important issues in African history” and shared that the thoughtful feedback he received was truly valuable to his work.
SERSAS 2025 highlighted the importance of collaboration—not only between universities but also across disciplines and generations of scholars. As the field of African Studies continues to grow and evolve, events like this help build meaningful connections and support new voices in the field.