The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), in partnership with the Centre for African Studies Basel ZASB, invites applications for the 7th Summer School in African Studies and Area Studies in Africa. Designed for PhD students and emerging scholars, this Summer School offers a unique platform to:

• Engage with cutting-edge theoretical and methodological debates;
• Strengthen interdisciplinary research approaches;
• Join a vibrant community of African and international scholars.

A flagship initiative that places Africa at the center of knowledge production and global scholarship – the primary aim of the Summer School is to foster and strengthen interdisciplinary approaches to research concerning Africa and other global regions from an African perspective. It emphasises African Studies as a facet of Area Studies and endeavours to identify themes that are theoretically, conceptually, and methodologically pertinent to the intellectual examination of Africa as a subject of knowledge. Furthermore, it seeks to assess Africa’s contribution to general scholarship while exploring the applicability of these findings to African perspectives on other regions.

The Summer School is open to Ph.D. students and early career scholars at Higher Education institutions on the African continent. Ph.D. students from Swiss universities are also encouraged. Applications will be considered from Ph.D. students in the Social Sciences and Humanities disciplines. Preference will be given to those in their first or second year of PhD enrolment.

Travel, accommodation, and meals during the Summer School will be provided for participants from African Institutions. The Convenors of the Summer School are also open to receiving a limited number of applicants willing and able to pay the cost of participation.

Venue: Dakar, Senegal

Date: 20-24 July 2026

Application deadline: 1^st May 2026