Those of you in Oxford may well be interested in several fascinating speaker events happening at the China-Africa Research Network in coming days:
China Africa Research Network event (and a shameless plug)
While I'm no longer in Oxford, the China Africa Research Network I began there in January 2008 is alive and well, despite a short hiatus in the autumn of 2008. To that end, for those of you still in Oxford or in and around the area, you may be interested in this upcoming event:
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The China-Africa Research Network is a group of students and professors interested in bringing issues of politics and development, related to China's involvement in Africa, to the forefront. In the last year, we hosted events on China's oil investments, aid and political relationship with Africa.
We will be holding a meeting this Friday, at 4pm in the SSL lounge, to discuss a day conference in Trinity term and plans for the following year. We're interested in recruiting new members to the group - so please do come and check it out!
Second China-Africa Research Network event, 27 Feb 2008 (!)
The China-Africa Research Network cordially invites you to a lecture by Dr. Ricardo Soares de Oliveira:
'Making Sense of Chinese Oil Investment in Africa'
5.00pm, Wednesday, 27 February Seminar Rm. 2, Queen Elizabeth House, 3 Mansfield Road
Ricardo Soares de Oliveira is a University Lecturer in Comparative Politics (African Politics) at the Department of Politics and International Relations, Oxford University and a Fellow with the Global Public Policy Institute, Berlin. Prior to assuming his post in Oxford in September 2007, he was the Austin Robinson Research Fellow at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and an Associate of the Centre of International Studies, University of Cambridge. He has also held research positions at the Sciences-Po in Paris and at the Centre of International and Area Studies at Yale.
Dr. Soares de Oliveira has worked in the field of governance and the energy sector for the World Bank, the European Commission and the French Ministry of Defense, among others. His recent work focuses on the issue of oil and governance in the Gulf of Guinea, where he has conducted extensive research. He is the author of Oil and Politics in the Gulf of Guinea, co-editor of China Returns to Africa: A Rising Power and a Continent Embrace and a contributing author to Bottom of the Barrel: Africa's Oil Boom and the Poor.
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Please send any queries to: aleksandra.gadzala@merton.ox.ac.uk
China-Africa Research Network Inaugural Lecture (!)
The China-Africa Research Network cordially invites you to its inaugural lecture, to be delivered by Dr. Chris Alden of the London School of Economics:
'China in Africa - Partner, Competitor or Hegemon? '
5.30pm, Tuesday, 5 February
Seminar Rm. 1, Queen Elizabeth House, 3 Mansfield Road, Oxford
Reception and drinks to follow.
Chris Alden is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Relations at the LSE. He has researched and published on Asian-African relations for over fifteen years, and has previously taught at the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Tokyo, the Ecole Normale Superieure and the University of Cambridge.
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Dr. Alden will speak on the topic of his recently published book, China in Africa, which has received much acclaim in both academic and policy circles. In his work, Alden investigates the emerging relationship between China and Africa to determine whether Beijing's multi-billion dollar investments, the influx of Chinese merchants, labourers, and cheap consumer goods will result in effective Sino-African partnership, competition, or the rise of China as the new global hegemon. Alden argues that in order to understand Chinese involvement on the continent, we need to recognize the range of economic, diplomatic and security rationales behind Beijing's Africa policy as well as the response of African elites and communities to China's entreaties. Only then can the new challenges and opportunities for Africa and the West be accurately assessed.
Please send any queries to:
aleksandra.gadzala@merton.ox.ac.uk