CAS in African Affairs

Do you work in Africa? Or do you engage with African partners, staff or clients? The CAS in African Affairs equips professionals with the knowledge, skills and resources to work more efficiently and sustainably in an African context.

As a participant, you will engage with local cases, continental phenomena, global processes and cross-cultural interaction. In addition to the teaching in class, you will carry out independent study and implement a project according to your individual interests and professional requirements, which allows you to apply the knowledge and skills you have developed to a practical challenge or a particular problem set.

Goals

Consolidate your professional experience in an African context
Enhance your knowledge in the fields of African society, politics and economy
Deepen your appreciation of the continent’s potential and challenges

Study program/structure

The study program has a modular structure and consists of several thematic short courses, an online foundation course and an individual project.

Short courses

Participants are free to choose five short courses offered in the frame of the African Affairs programme at the Centre for African Studies Basel (ZASB). Three of the courses should link to the theme they would like to specialise in. You find all current and past courses on the ZASB website:

Current courses

15/16 Oktober 2020

Africa’s Place in the New World Order

Participants engage with current debates on Africa’s place in the new world order in-the-making as well as on emerging peace and security issues, including unconstitutional changes of government and transitional justice.

[Translate to English:] Mozambique Commonwealth Observer Group 2014

28/29 October 2020

Media, Journalism and the Public Sphere

The focus of this course is on the most important characteristics, developments and continuities of the media sector across Africa. Participants will appreciate achievements of journalism and the role of the media for society in different settings.

[Translate to English:] intercultural communication

20/21 November 2019

Intercultural skills: Communication

Participants engage with very practical challenges and the potential of working in an international environment. The course raises awareness of the role of culture and equips participants with communication resources to productively apply in international working environments.

Foundation course

The foundation course is based on the e-learning platform ADAM of the University of Basel and is compulsary for the completion of the CAS. It mainly consists of readings, online assignments and short essays on which participants receive feedback by the course directors.

The focus is on our understanding of social, political and economic processes in Africa. We ask, what role history and historiography, structural constraints and cultural context play for the production of knowledge on Africa, and critically engage with values, perceptions and assumptions underlying this knowledge. The aim is to introduce participants to new perspectives for the analysis of phenomena and events and to build the foundation for their work on the CAS project.

[Translate to English:] Snapshot: Foundation course

CAS project

The CAS project is an integral part of the study programme. Participants develop a project according to their individual interest and professional requirements. They apply the knowledge and skills they have developed to a practical challenge, a particular problem set or a theoretical question. The aim is that participants deepen their knowledge and skills in areas relevant for their professional environment and benefit from concrete solutions elaborated within the frame of the project.

Specialization

Participants have the option to specialize in one of the following fields:

Politics and society
Art and popular cultural
Resources and development
Intercultural competence

If participants choose a specialization, at least three of the short courses as well as the CAS project should link to the respective field.

Practical information and registration

You can either directly register for the CAS program or start with completing individual short courses. Short courses can be acknowledged after registration.

Target audience

The CAS in African Affairs and Intercultural Competence is designed for professionals in private enterprises, public agencies and NGOs who work in an African context or aim to do so. It is ideal for professionals who work in Africa or engage with African partners, staff or clients.

Degree

Upon successful completion of the program, participants will be awarded a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) issued by the University of Basel.

Language

The course languages are English and German. All project reports and summaries may be written in German, English or French.

Course fee

The course fee depends on the chosen short courses. It consists of:

the fees for the short courses;
the additional fee of CHF 2100 for the assignments, the online foundation course and the supervision of the CAS project.

Workload

The total workload of the study programme is approximately 300 hours, which is equivalent to 10 credit points according to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).