Events

This Master’s block seminar explores the involvement of European corporations in land investments across West Africa, with particular attention to Sierra Leone and Liberia. Bringing together perspectives from environmental history and humanities, agronomy, and activist practice, the course examines how academic research can engage more closely with local and international activists and NGOs to document, analyze, and respond to human rights violations linked to large-scale land acquisitions and climate mitigation initiatives.

Together, the participants will critically reflect on the conceptual and methodological challenges of collaboration between scholars and activists, and explore how such partnerships can contribute to more grounded and socially engaged forms of knowledge production. The seminar also situates contemporary developments within longer land and agricultural histories across the African continent, highlighting how both researchers and practitioners have addressed these dynamics over time.

Working in groups, the participants will develop case study projects, design research approaches, consider modes of collaboration with local actors, and explore strategies for communicating findings to a Swiss/Europe-based audience. The course is co-taught by Luregn Lenggenhager (historian, University of Basel), Silva Lieberherr (Agronomist, HEKS), and collaborators from the Sierra Leone Network on the Right to Food (SiLNoRF).

The seminar takes place at the University of Basel from 8–11 September 2026, with one or two follow-up sessions during the semester (dates to be confirmed), to follow up on and finalize the group projects.

Since this block course takes place before the regular lecture period, please register your interest as soon as possible (but latest by 10 August 2026) by e-mail to luregn.lenggenhager@unibas.ch