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Lioba Moshi grew up in a town almost
in the shadow of storied Mt. Kilimanjaro, in a place where
her great-grandfather had been village chief. South of Kenya
and east of the Congo, Tanzania stood at a cultural crossroads
that cast Africans, Germans, and British against each other
for decades and left a culture of great diversity and richness.
As Director of UGA’s African Studies and a professor
of linguistics in the department of comparative literature,
Moshi has been in Athens for many years now, but in a sense,
she has never left Africa, and when she speaks of that continent,
it is with quiet pride and wonder. For despite poverty and
wars, despite disease and colonial tragedies, Africa remains
a place that stirs the imagination of Westerners, from its
magnificent landscapes and animals, to its central role in
all human history.
Interest in Africa is not new for UGA students. For more than
two decades, they have studied the continent’s history,
and in 1987, an African Studies Program began on campus—changed
in 2001 to the African Studies Institute. In 1988, the Swahili
language became a popular favorite, followed in 1996 by Yoruba
and 1998 by Zulu. Now with study abroad trips to Tanzania,
Kenya, and Ghana, the program has taken on a deeper significance,
and Moshi has been at the heart of these changes.
African studies at the University of Georgia have expanded
vastly since the late 1980s, partially due to the more global
nature of the world, but also because students have a deep
and abiding curiosity about the continent, its countries,
languages, and cultures. The University offers a Certificate
in African studies, and a minor has been added. Additionally
various study abroad programs are available.
Moshi goes back home every May during the Maymester study
abroad program, but she remains positioned between two worlds,
just as the Tanzania of her childhood straddled numerous societies,
both indigenous and colonial.
In celebration of Black History Month, the
Center for Humanities and Arts is sponsoring a conference
entitled Globalization and Human Rights in Africa. Distinguished
artists, scholars and diplomats will discuss the effect of
globalization on the cultures, arts, economies, and politics
of the nations of the region. The complete program listing
can be found at http://www.cha.uga.edu/symposia/Africa2004/program.htm.
The conference runs from Wednesday at 8 p.m. through Friday
in Masters Hall, Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center & Hotel.
For more information, contact 706/542-3966 or ctrha@uga.edu.
Competing in a Global Economy
The University of Georgia is at the forefront of the globalization
movement in higher education with a wealth of opportunities
for international experiences. Our students are flocking to
study-abroad programs, thriving on the challenges inherent in
confronting a new cultural environment. More and more, students
on campus are also making choices that reflect an understanding
of the importance of global awareness—from living in a
residence hall-based language community to starting a radio
program in another language to minoring in a foreign language.
These experiences, whether at home or abroad, influence how
our students perceive the world and their place in it. We’re
producing graduates prepared to be world citizens—well
informed, culturally sensitive and technologically sophisticated.
They’re ready to take on the challenges of our global
society, and they’ll be equally at home whether in the
Peach State or the Republic of Georgia. |
Lioba
Moshi is associate professor of comparative literature and director
of the African Studies Institute at UGA.
