Dr. Senayon Olaoluwa

Visited the IAS in October, 2023

Dr. Senayon Olaoluwa is of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ibadan where he is the Inaugural Director of the TETFund Centre of Excellence for Diaspora Studies. His research expertise broadly draws upon the notion of diaspora as an umbrella concept that describes experiences which are suggestive of ''not being home'' in both literal and figurative terms. He has examined the mobility and migration of humans across time and space and has scrutinized the figurative dynamics of mobility in relation to passages of time, knowledge, theories, memory, cultures, ideas, texts, practices, sexuality, narrative, history, power, and ecology. During his month-long fellowship stay at IAS-University of Bayreuth in October 2023, he made progress on his ongoing book project on “Mapping African Ecocriticism: Time, Space, Context”. The visit also offered him an opportunity to co-organize and chair a panel on “Necropolitanism” at the International Conference of the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, 11-14, October. The panel investigated the dynamics of political power in tracking the trajectory of African anatomical remains and transnational funereal circulations. The fellowship was also a propitious time to advance conversations towards the implementation of the existing memorandum of understanding between the University of Ibadan and the University of Bayreuth. The stay was overall greatly productive.