African Studies at the University of Bayreuth: Excellence Continues

A tense silence fills the room: on a large screen, the live stream of the press conference by the DFG and the Federal Ministry of Research is playing. Around 50 people have gathered at the newly established Africa Research Centre at the University of Bayreuth to find out what lies ahead for African Studies at the university. Then comes the moment: in the second line of the list projected onto the screen appears “University of Bayreuth, Africa Multiple: Reconfiguring African Studies” – and the room erupts in applause.

The University President and the Cluster Speaker embrace, researchers and students exchange high-fives, academic and administrative staff congratulate and thank each other. Nearly two years of hard work lie behind them. Preparing an application of over 100 pages involves not only researchers, but also colleagues from the university’s research support office, the presidential and chancellor’s staff units, administrative departments, communications, and many more. In the end, all their efforts have paid off.
University President Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible stated: “I am proud and grateful that our Cluster will continue to receive funding. This is not only a great success for the researchers involved, but for the entire university.”

The topic pursued by the researchers in Bayreuth evidently resonated with the international review panel composed of representatives from the federal and state governments and the DFG: “This shows that our research themes are highly relevant to today’s society. The renewal is also a strong signal to the international academic community: Bayreuth is a global leader in African Studies. The decision by the DFG and science policymakers affirms the innovative strength, interdisciplinary excellence, and tireless dedication of our Cluster – and it gives us the opportunity to further pursue our vision. This renewal is more than academic recognition – it’s a boost for future generations of scholars and a clear commitment to sustainable top-level research at our university,” says Leible.

Since 2019, the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence has stood for a fundamental reorientation of African Studies. At its core is a close and equal collaboration with African scholars – interdisciplinary in approach and globally networked. Together with four partner universities on the African continent, the University of Bayreuth has explored six key thematic areas: “Arts and Aesthetics,” “Knowledge,” “Mobilities,” “Regional Integration,” “Moralities,” and “Learning.” The aim is to establish new modes of knowledge production and set new standards in the field of African Studies.

Starting in January 2026, the Cluster will enter its second funding phase under the continued title Africa Multiple. The scientific collaboration will be elevated to a new level, with new thematic emphases on “Digital Practices,” “Ecology,” “Inequality,” “Uncertainty,” “Memory,” and “Translation.” These themes were developed jointly by scholars at all five cluster locations. Key areas of focus include interdisciplinarity, gender equality, diversity, and shared research data management. New platforms will also be established to support early career researchers and ensure long-term mobility between partner institutions – creating lasting structures that will continue beyond the funding period.

The Cluster thus plays a key role in advancing the University of Bayreuth’s internationalization strategy and further strengthens its profile in the global academic landscape. African Studies in Bayreuth are increasingly becoming an internationally visible platform for innovative research and scholarly exchange.

A central component of the Cluster’s success remains its strong partnerships with four African universities: the University of Lagos (Nigeria), Moi University (Kenya), Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo (Burkina Faso), and Rhodes University (South Africa). These institutions serve not only as partners, but as independent Africa Multiple Research Centres (AMRCs). In all upcoming projects, researchers from these institutions will collaborate as equals – jointly developing research questions, collecting and analyzing data, and training a new, networked generation of scholars. Together, they foster differentiated, multi-perspective approaches to the diversity of Africa and its diasporas.

Phase I: Achievements

Research findings on the six thematic areas – “Arts and Aesthetics,” “Knowledge,” “Mobilities,” “Regional Integration,” “Moralities,” and “Learning” – have been published in numerous academic publications. In addition, 15 international conferences and over 600 academic events have taken place, around 200 of which were held at the African partner sites. These events addressed both the academic community and non-academic audiences and multipliers, thereby promoting science communication in the regions and beyond the university context.

In Bayreuth, this outreach also extended to schools, where efforts were made to encourage critical reflection on perceptions of Africa and engage with topics such as social diversity and anti-discrimination. One tangible result of this work was the development of teaching materials for 10th grade classes in Bavarian schools.

The collaboration with artists also proved groundbreaking and opened up new perspectives for transdisciplinary research methods in African Studies.

Phase II: Outlook

On January 1, 2026, the Cluster will launch its new research agenda. Already in early 2025, African Studies in Bayreuth – previously spread across various locations in the city – were centralized on campus. The newly constructed Africa Research Centre (FZA) now offers a cutting-edge research environment that fosters synergies through physical proximity.

In addition to the biannual international conferences, the Cluster will introduce new event formats: academic symposia will be complemented by public-facing events involving artists, policymakers, and civil society representatives.

In the field of education, cooperation with schoolteachers will be expanded. The goal is to present a more nuanced image of Africa in the classroom – for example, through school visits by African researchers and artists. The existing platform PLURA for teaching materials will be expanded to include content in African languages such as Swahili and Yoruba.

More information: www.africamultiple.uni-bayreuth.de