Established in 1970, the Center for African Studies at the University of Illinois is one of the leading African studies programs in the United States. The Center is committed to providing comprehensive and excellent educational opportunities. Its activities and programs are a testimony to the strength and vibrancy of African studies on this campus.

The Center has an outstanding Africana library collection, a wide range of course offerings, including regular instruction in African languages, and an interdisciplinary Master of Arts degree program. The size and quality of its faculty is impressive, as well as its outreach program which serves the Urbana-Champaign community, the state of Illinois, the Midwest region, and the nation. Over the years, mutually beneficial linkages have been established with numerous African universities and independent research institutions. The Center is also known for its dynamic extracurricular programming, including seminars and conferences, as well as innovative, multi-disciplinary research projects.

The Center is appreciative of its many sources of support, including of course, the University of Illinois. Fortified by the intellectual and institutional assets that have been accumulated over the last three decades, we look forward to meeting the various challenges facing area studies in general and African studies in particular. We are confident in our creative capacities to move in new, exciting directions to meet our triple mission of research, teaching, and public service.