Veranstaltungen

Historian Andrea Azizi Kifyasi will present key insights from his recently released book «Angels of God» and discuss questions from the audience. Based on a dissertation Kifyasi submitted to the University of Basel in 2021, the book analyses the history of Chinese medical cooperation in post-colonial Tanzania from the late 1960s into the 2010s.

Kifyasi’s book offers historically deep perspectives on medical programs, actors and experiences in the post-colonial period and insights into a rich array of topics relevant to today’s discussions about shifting ‘world orders’ and the role of science. It looks at roots and practices of South-South-Cooperation, and the rise of China in the context of solidarity and imperialism. It discusses scientific innovation and practice in the global south: We learn, for example, about Chinese-Tanzanian collaboration in HIV/AIDS-treatment, using concepts and herbal medicine from China before biomedical Anti-Retroviral Treatment became accessible to African patients; and we see attempts at building pharmaceutical industries in Tanzania.

Andrea Azizi Kifyasi teaches history at the University of Dar es Salaam.

Moderator: Julia Tischler, Department of History, University of Basel