The African and African Diaspora Studies Program is located in the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Florida International University, It is one of the leading programs in the United States engaged with the study of the peoples of continental Africa and of communities of the African diaspora throughout the world. The program is organized around a robust interdisciplinary curriculum, cutting-edge research agendas and active outreach. AADS hosts interdisciplinary conferences, colloquia, roundtables, symposia and lectures throughout the year where internationally and nationally recognized scholars and public figures discuss a variety of issues related to continental Africa, the United States, and the African Diaspora. AADS is becoming recognized as a leading Program in the interdisciplinary field of African & African diaspora studies, and related fields of inquiry because of its efforts and commitment to being internationally renowned, nationally competitive, and locally meaningful
Mission Statement
The mission of the African & African Diaspora Studies Program (AADS) is to foster greater understandings of the experiences of peoples of African descent internationally in its efforts to contribute to the University’s objective of serving the people of South Florida, the state, the nation, and the international communities.
The objectives of AADS are to:
1.Provide a first-rate university education while challenging and stimulating students and scholars to engage critically with Africa and the African Diaspora while developing skills for, critical thinking and contributing to the development of the field and to the betterment of communities in which persons of African descent are located, and to the cultural, aesthetic, social, political, and economic environments of these communities.
2. Generate new knowledge through research about Africa, the African Diaspora, and their peoples and communities and by supporting original research projects locally, nationally, and globally.
3. Expose students and members of the local, national, and global communities to the rich and diverse interdisciplinary scholarship in the field of African and African Diaspora Studies and the histories and contributions of peoples of African descent.