The aim of this course is to introduce students to African Philosophy. It explores the major philosophical traditions emerging from Africa, focusing especially on set of important questions with historical and contemporary relevance. What concepts or ideas are significantly meaningful within the context of African philosophy? Are these questions unique or would there be unifying features with other intellectual traditions? How has these conversations shape (and continued to shape) Africa? We will explore themes such as development (history) of African philosophy, Justice and Morality in African Thought, epistemologies of development, belief systems, justification of moral norms and questions of identity.
Most critically, since philosophy is a living tradition, we will embark on a journey of self discovery in dialogue with culture and society within the African intellectual domain. What this means is that the course invites us through class activities to critically analyze primary texts and reflect on cultural (or theological) assumptions/presuppositions of philosophical questions.
- Teacher: Onyebuchi Eze
The eastern coast of the African continent bathed by the Indian Ocean has long been an area of important trade with the Arab world. Have been concentrated from Islamized peoples in the places where commercial establishments were based or developed until the south of Tanzania. Bantous and Arab cultural mixtures have made a new amalgam that is the Swahili civilization and the integration of this part of the continent into the international economic system, with the resulting consequences until today.
The presence of Arabs on this part of the continent, according to A.M.H. SHERIFF (1987), dates back to the second century BCE when the Arabian merchants exercised a virtual monopoly on all East African coastal trade. This trade was favored by the regime of monsoon winds which alternate from November to March, in a northeast / southwest direction, and from June to October in the opposite direction. However, the settlement on the eastern coast of Africa of immigrants of Arab origin from the 7th century onwards for reasons of religious dissension intensified trade in this part of the continent. As a result of these arrivals: the foundation of a succession of cities stretching from Mogadishu, Somalia, to Sofala, the region of the Zambezi Valley, the extreme point of the action of the monsoon winds. This is how it can be said that before the arrival of the Portuguese, the Indian Ocean was an Arab Ocean.
La côte Orientale du continent Africain baignée par l’océan Indien a été depuis longtemps une zone d’importants échanges commerciaux avec le monde arabe. Se sont concentrés des peuples islamisés dans les lieux où se sont fondés ou développés des établissements commerciaux jusqu’au Sud de la Tanzanie actuelle. Les mélanges culturels bantous et arabes ont fait se constituer un amalgame nouveau qui est la civilisation swahili et l’intégration de cette partie du continent dans le système économique international, avec les conséquences qui en découlent jusqu’à aujourd’hui.
La présence des Arabes sur cette parte du continent, selon A.M.H. SHERIFF (1987), remonte du II ème siècle avant l’ère chrétienne quand les marchandes d’Arabie ont exercé un quasi-monopole sur tout le commerce côtier de l’Afrique Orientale. Ce commerce a été favorisé par le régime des vents de mousson qui alternent de novembre à mars, dans le sens nord-est / sud-ouest, et de juin à octobre dans le sens inverse. Toutefois, l’établissement sur la côte orientale de l’Afrique d’immigrants d’origine arabe, à partir du VIIème siècle, pour des motifs de dissension religieuse ont intensifié le commerce dans cette zone du continent. Conséquent de ces arrivées : la fondation d’une succession de cités qui s’étalent de Mogadiscio, en Somalie, jusqu’à Sofala, la région de la Vallée du Zambèze, le point extrême de l’action des vents de mousson. C’est par cela que l’on peut dire qu’avant l’arrivée des Portugais, l’océan Indien est un océan arabe.
The process of human evolution has always raised debate in social and academic circles, this Discipline is merely important to allude to the Political Science course at the level of the deep debates about human evolution that Prehistory certainly seeks to bring credible results about this matter, looking for the path of the evolution of human culture, of the homo genus and testing the theories about the evolution of this being with archaeological tools.
Also, from this Discipline, it is intended to open a multidisciplinary horizon to the students of the course. This is a vast scientific field that integrates objective tools from the social sciences as well as from the so-called exact or natural sciences. Therefore, Prehistory has always been a discipline that sought to seek the dynamics of culture in a diachronic perspective to better understand contemporary societies. It is in this incessant search for culture that the relationship between Anthropology and Archeology is judged as a direct arm of Social and Cultural Anthropology.
From an interdisciplinary perspective, the Introduction to Prehistory in this course offers the epistemological course of archeological science, but introducing its foundations and their relative areas, from methodologies, human evolution in Africa, dynamics during the Paleolithic to Communities agricultural and pastoralists in Africa.
- Teacher: Mussa Raja
Studying the geography of Africa has many interests and benefits, both academically and practically. Here are some key reasons why the geography of Africa is an important and fascinating discipline :
1. Physical and Natural Diversity : Varied landscapes / Biodiversity
2. Cultural and Historical Richness : Cultural legacy / Historic Sites
3. Economic and Strategic Importance : Natural resources / Development and urbanization
4. Environmental and Climate Issues : Climate change / Water Resources Management
5. Perspective Globale : Global interconnectivity / Decolonization and geopolitics
6. Innovation and Local Adaptation : Agriculture and food / Technology and sustainability
Clic on the video here :
Étudier la géographie de l'Afrique présente de nombreux intérêts et avantages, tant sur le plan académique que pratique. Voici quelques raisons clés pour lesquelles la géographie de l'Afrique est une discipline importante et fascinante :
1. Diversité Physique et Naturelle : Paysages variés / Biodiversité
2. Richesse Culturelle et Historique : Patrimoines culturels / b. Sites historiques
3. Importance Économique et Stratégique : Ressources naturelles / Développement et urbanisation
4. Enjeux Environnementaux et Climatiques : changement climatique / Gestion des ressources en eau.
5. Perspective Globale : Interconnectivité mondiale / Décolonisation et géopolitique
6. Innovation et Adaptation Locale : Agriculture et alimentation / Technologies et développement durable
Cliquez sur la vidéo de présentation (ci-dessous) :
- Teacher: Dr Laurence Buzenot
This course deals with political science through the fundamental concepts of power. He takes a diachronic approach by situating the discipline both in its ancient and recent history as well as in its epistemological foundations. It allows you to deepen the essential notions of power, politics, the state. It presents the main political regimes like democracy, totalitarianism and authoritarianism. At each of its stages, in an educational perspective, the reflection articulates elements from history, sociology, philosophy, law and anthropology. The course thus makes it possible to initiate to certain great works of the social sciences (Durkheim, Weber ...) and to the handling of basic concepts (legitimacy, charisma ...).
Ce cours aborde la science politique au travers des concepts fondamentaux du pouvoir. Il adopte une approche diachronique en situant la discipline à la fois dans son histoire ancienne et récente ainsi que ses fondements épistémologiques. Il permet d’approfondir les notions essentielles de pouvoir, de politique, de l’Etat. Il présente les principaux régimes politiques comme la démocratie, la totalitarisme et l'autoritarisme. A chacune de ses étapes, dans une vue pédagogique, la réflexion articule des éléments provenant de l'histoire, de la sociologie, de la philosophie, du droit et de l'anthropologie. Le cours permet ainsi d'initier à certaines grandes œuvres des sciences sociales (Durkheim, Weber...) et au maniement de concepts de base (légitimité, charisme...).
Nous abordons également quelques portraits d'hommes politiques africains qui seront régulièrement cités dans les disciplines de philosophie an africaine, d'histoire et de géographie.
- Teacher: Dr Laurence Buzenot
- Teacher: AGAPTUS NWOZOR
- Teacher: Kundai Ngwena
This course is designed to explain the Scope and History of Agriculture, its branches and importance, as well as career opportunities in agriculture. Students will be made to understand the dimensions of agricultural farming systems ranging from diversified farming, specialized farming, mixed farming, and subsistence farming. The course will clearly describe the components of the agriculture sector (looking at crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries subsectors). Moreover, from a regional basis, the course content will specifically encompass subjects/aspects on Crops (definition, crop types, their pests and diseases); Soil (definition of soil, soil types, soil profile, soil components, soil living organisms, soil fertility and infertility issues and plant nutrient types); Livestock Management (classes of farm animals, distribution of farm animals in Africa and livestock management systems in sub-Saharan Africa; Forestry (definition, importance of forest, tree types, economic uses of trees, sustainable forest management-deforestation, afforestation and re-forestation); Wildlife and wildlife management (concepts and ecotourism); Fisheries and Fish Production in Africa (aquaculture and economic importance of fish to man); and Land issues, land use systems and reform policies tenure. More so, students will inculcate the knowledge of agencies and institutions whose policies and laws affect the agriculture sector transformation such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreements will be conceptualized.
References
Agriculture – Definition – Importance and scope - Branches of agriculture - Evolution of man and agriculture – Development of scientific agriculture - National and International Agricultural Research Institutes; (Available online: https://wizardsolution.yolasite.com/resources/AGRON-4111.pdf), pp 1-64.
Farming Types: 12 Major Types of Farming | Agriculture (Available online: https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/farming/farming-types-12-major-types-of-farming-agriculture/77394)
Plant pests and diseases (Available online: https://www.fao.org/emergencies/emergency-types/plant-pests-and-diseases/en/)
Chapter 10 – Pests and Diseases Management by Gavin Ash; (Available online: https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/2805562/Chapter10_Ash.pdf)
Soil (Available online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil)
Soil Fertility (Available online - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_fertility)
Animal Feeding Operations (Available online: https://www.nap.edu/read/10586/chapter/4)
2016 State of the World’s Forests (Available online: https://www.fao.org/3/i5588e/i5588e.pdf)
Manual on Deforestation, Degradation, and Fragmentation using Remote Sensing and GIS (Available online: https://www.fao.org/forestry/18222-045c26b711a976bb9d0d17386ee8f0e37.pdf)
Lecturer or Professor
Ikechi Agbugba (PhD, Agricultural Economics)
Education Language
ENGLISH
Semester 1
Semester 1
Exam
Short answer and short essay
Competences
- Acquire the knowledge of scope and history of agriculture, branches and importance of agriculture, as well as career opportunities in agriculture. Students will be made to understand the dimensions of agricultural farming systems ranging from diversified farming, specialized farming, mixed farming, and subsistence farming. The course will clearly describe the components of the agriculture sector (looking at crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries subsectors).
- Understand the clear meanings of agriculture, and its sectors/components/divisions, as well as the concepts surrounding it.
- Critically analyse the agriculture sector ranging from crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries sub-sector with reference to Africa’s agriculture sector economy.
- Essentially understand the relevance/importance agriculture sector plays in economic growth and development, looking at food security pillars & how the agriculture sector can contribute in driving economic transformation among African nations. For instance, Cooperative agriculture; AU’s African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreements intending to enforce friendly policies and agriculture/agribusiness activities across Africa (intra Africa trade).
- Critically analyse the bottlenecks/factors militating against development of the agriculture sector, as well as fundamental issues touching on food policies and guidelines.
- Teacher: Dr Ikechi Agbugba