African Humanities Program Culminating Report

From 2008-2023, the African Humanities Program (AHP) strengthened research in the humanities in five African nations—Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda—through a competitive fellowship program funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and administered by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS).

The African Humanities Program Culminating Report provides insights into the incredible work and collaborative efforts that made AHP a turning point for the humanities in the participating countries and how it championed a shift in professional development, institutional perception, and paradigms for critical inquiry.

The report highlights African Humanities Program’s resounding success—evident in the numerous research publications, the renewed interest in intra-continental collaborations and mentorship, and the reinvigoration of humanistic scholarship. The program’s transformative impact on the fellows’ professional trajectories is particularly noteworthy, with scholars reporting  career advancement, and increased authority and standing in institutional and cultural contexts that were previously unfriendly to or dismissive of humanistic inquiry.