Vision & Mission

In 1990, with the participation of 23 chairs and professorships, the Institute of African Studies (IAS) was founded to sustainably promote African studies at the University of Bayreuth and to reliably bundle and coordinate all the University of Bayreuth’s Africa- and African diaspora-related teaching and research activities. Bayreuth was able to establish itself as a world-renowned location for excellence in African studies after the founding charter of the University of Bayreuth declared African studies as one of its fundamental focus areas as early as 1975. The Institute nowadays also engages more with issues of diverse and geographically complex African diaspora.

The Institute embraces a research agenda that is critical, reflexive, and aimed at transcending historically unequal relations of research and knowledge production. To achieve this, we are guided by the following objectives:

• The promotion of interdisciplinarity in the field of Africa- and African diaspora-related research
• The stimulation of new research projects and innovative research priorities
• A promotion of young talent that meets the highest standards
• The sustainable and equal cooperation with and between African partners and partners from the African diaspora
• The availability of a forum for the exchange of ideas between the university, and various local, national, and international stakeholders from the domains of government, civil society, media and culture, politics and business
• The constant ability to offer a well-founded and differentiated picture of African and African diaspora realities and developments in all relevant matters
• The nurturing of a reflexive institutional culture that fights all forms of racism and discrimination 

United in Diversity

The IAS now coordinates teaching and research related to Africa and the diverse and geographically equally complex African diaspora in all seven faculties and promotes the relevant commitment of almost 100 professors, young researchers, and international guests.

Funtunfunefu denkyemfunefu
The logo of the Institute of African Studies (IAS) stands for unity despite diversity. The symbol originates from Ghana (Asante) and represents Siamese crocodiles that share a stomach but strive for food separately.