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79731-01 - Seminar: European Land Investment in West Africa: Activist Aproaches to Humanities Research (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Luregn Lenggenhager (luregn.lenggenhager@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This Master’s block seminar explores the involvement of European corporations in land investments across West Africa, with particular attention to Sierra Leone and Liberia. Bringing together perspectives from environmental history and humanities, agronomy, and activist practice, the course examines how academic research can engage more closely with local and international activists and NGOs to document, analyze, and respond to human rights violations linked to large-scale land acquisitions and climate mitigation initiatives. We will critically reflect on the conceptual and methodological challenges of collaboration between scholars and activists, and explore how such partnerships can contribute to more grounded and socially engaged forms of knowledge production. The seminar also situates contemporary developments within longer land and agricultural histories across the African continent, highlighting how both researchers and practitioners have addressed these dynamics over time. Working in groups, we will develop case study projects, design research approaches, consider modes of collaboration with local actors, and explore strategies for communicating findings to a Swiss/Europe-based audience. The course is co-taught by Luregn Lenggenhager (historian University of Basel), Silva Lieberherr (Agronomist, HEKS), and collaborators from the Sierra Leone Network on the Right to Food (SiLNoRF). |
| Comments | Einwöchige Blockveranstaltung im 8.-11. September 2026 One-week block seminar from 8–11 September 2026. |
| Course application | Please register as soon as possible (but latest by 10 August July 2026) by email to luregn.lenggenhager@unibas.ch. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| einmalig | See individual dates | ||
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 08.09.2026 | 09.15-17.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Wednesday 09.09.2026 | 09.15-17.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 10.09.2026 | 09.15-17.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Friday 11.09.2026 | 09.15-17.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Modules |
Module: Europeanization and Globalization (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) Module: Fields: Environment and Development (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: The Urban across Disciplines (Master's degree program: Critical Urbanisms) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Zentrum für Afrikastudien |