Short Courses
DIPLOMA CERTIFICATE IN AFRICAN DIASPORAN STUDIES
SHORT COURSE IN AFRICAN DIASPORAN STUDIES
Short Courses
Instructor & Course Information
Dates
Tuesdays, 21 October – Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Final Student Presentations
2 December 2025
Time
2 hours per session (with a short break)
Location
In person, Broos Institute (Amsterdam)
Language of Instruction
English
Tuition Fee
€300 per student
Instructor
Dr. Adwoa Owusuaa Bobie
Office Location
Office Location: Stationsweg 28, 1382AB, Weesp
Office hours
Class hours: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Lecture Hall
Lecture Hall:
Course Overview
Join this intensive short course led by Dr. Adwoa Owusuaa Bobie and explore how African and Afro-diaspora identities are shaped by history, culture, and decolonial thought.
This program is designed for adult learners who wish to deepen their understanding of African diasporan experiences within global and European contexts.
- 5 sessions, 2 hours each
- Small-group discussions & critical debates
- Guided academic readings
- Field reflections & practical applications
- Final student presentations (2 December 2025)
- Certificate of Participation upon completion
Enroll Now
Places are limited. Register today to secure your seat.
Payment Process
After submitting your form:
- You will be redirected to our secure payment system (Stripe).
- Pay the tuition fee of €300.
- Receive an automated confirmation email with:
- Enrollment confirmation
- Course dates & session times
- Reading list and preparation instructions
- Instructor contact details
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course introduces students to the making of the African diaspora. The origin of the dispersal of Africans throughout the world is rooted in the various slave trades that spanned the 15th and 19th centuries. The students will learn about slavery and the slave trade in Africa, including the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Arabian Peninsula/Indian Ocean slave trade, the reuniting of Africans and the African diaspora through Pan-Africanism, and the contemporary relations between the two regions. The African Union has adopted the African Diaspora as the 6th region, signaling the historic ties between Africa and various parts of the world.
Aims and Objectives:
- The course introduces students to the making of the ‘old’ African diaspora.
- To delve into the cultural transfer and transformations resulting from the dispersion of African people throughout the globe from the fifteenth century to the present.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
- State and explain the origins and development of communities of people of African descent outside the motherland, as well as the general significance of this development in global history.
- Independently formulate a clear and well-argued research question.
- Analyse and evaluate literature and sources to produce an original scholarly argument.
- The ability to identify new approaches within existing academic debates.
Instructor & Course Information
Seminar Leadership
The course is organized as seminars that involve interactive participation, leadership, and written essays. Each student is expected to lead a discussion of at least one seminar theme. The seminar discussions should focus on the content of the readings; students should examine the central arguments and the supporting evidence to their critical satisfaction. The role of the seminar leader is to facilitate seminar discussions. Thus, while it is expected that every student does the assigned readings carefully and critically, the seminar leader must also bring to the class thought-provoking questions, issues, comments, and ideas from the readings to facilitate discussions. Seminar leaders will give an oral presentation before the open discussions. The paper must be distributed via email to the entire class at least a day before our meeting.
Seminar Participation
Participation in seminar activities and discussions helps demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the course content. Students are expected to read the assigned material for every session and consult additional sources wherever possible. They should take the lead in discussions and actively participate in facilitating the understanding of the course materials.
Concept Paper for End of Programme
Each student is required to identify a topic of interest for an end-of-programme paper. After choosing topics, students will submit a concept paper to the instructor. The concept paper is expected to be a page long (1.5-spaced). It should include a brief statement on the topic’s background, questions/issues to be explored, key debates/arguments to be made, and methods to be followed. It is important to include a clear thesis statement in your concept paper. A brief actual or tentative bibliography should also be included.
Written Essay as End of Programme Paper
The purpose of the written essay is to demonstrate an understanding of the key debates relating to the happenings on historical antecedents of current happenings on the continent about the diasporan relationship. Consequently, the topic should be relevant to at least one seminar theme and highlight issues about contemporary African diasporan politics. The paper must be 5-7 pages, about 2000-3500 words, typed and 1.5-spaced in a 12-point font (Times Roman). The paper must be written on the same topic as the concept paper.
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
Components of the Marks
Evaluation format Weight
| Evaluation format | Weight |
|---|---|
| Seminar Leadership | 20% |
| Seminar Participation | 10% |
| Concept Paper | 10% |
| Written Term Paper/end of semester exams | 60% |
| Total | 100% |
Course Outline and Reading Assignments
Week 1: Introduction, Course Overview: Africa Diaspora
Readings:
- Zeleza, Paul T. (2005). Rewriting the African Diaspora: Beyond the Black Atlantic, African Affairs, 104(414): 35-68.
Week 2: The World's Oldest Trade: Slave Trade
Readings
- Vink, Markus (2003). “The World’s Oldest Trade”: Dutch Slavery and Slave Trade in the Indian Ocean in the Seventeenth Century, Journal of World History, 14(2): 131-177.
- Eltis, David (2001). The Volume and Structure of the Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Reassessment, The William and Mary Quarterly, 58(1): 17-46.
- Richardson, David (2001). Shipboard Revolts, African Authority, and the Atlantic Slave Trade, The William and Mary Quarterly, 58(1): 69-92.
Week 3: The Abolition and Reconstruction
Readings:
- Mason, Matthew (2009). Keeping up Appearances: The International Politics of Slave Trade Abolition in the Nineteenth-Century Atlantic World, The William and Mary Quarterly, 66(4): 809-832.
- Whyte, Christine (2015). “Freedom But Nothing Else”: The Legacies of Slavery and Abolition in Post-Slavery Sierra Leone, 1928-1956, The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 48(2): 231-250.
- Lecocq, Baz and Éric Komlavi Hahonou (2015). Introduction: Exploring Post-Slavery in Contemporary Africa, The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 48(2): 181-192.
Week 4: Pan Africanism
- M’bayo, Tamba E. (2004). W. E. B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, and Pan-Africanism in Liberia, 1919–1924, The Historian, 66(1): 19-44.
- Shepperson, George (1962). Pan-Africanism and “Pan-Africanism”: Some Historical Notes, Phylon, 23(4): 346-358.
Week 5: Post-Independence Diaspora Relations (No seminar session)
Readings
- Blyden, Nemata A. (2004). “Back to Africa:” The Migration of New World Blacks to Sierra Leone and Liberia, OAH Magazine of History, 18(3): 23-25.
- Edozie, Rita K. (2012). The Sixth Zone: The African Diaspora and the African Union’s Global Era Pan Africanism, Journal of African American Studies, 16(2): 268-299.
DIPLOMA CERTIFICATE IN AFRICAN DIASPORAN STUDIES
Short CoursesJoin this intensive short course led by Dr. Adwoa Owusuaa Bobie and explore how African and Afro-diaspora identities are shaped by history, culture, and decolonial thought.
This program is designed for adult learners who wish to deepen their understanding of African diasporan experiences within global and European contexts.
- 5 sessions, 2 hours each
- Small-group discussions & critical debates
- Guided academic readings
- Field reflections & practical applications
- Final student presentations (2 December 2025)
- Certificate of Participation upon completion
Places are limited. Register today to secure your seat.
After submitting your form:
- You will be redirected to our secure payment system (Stripe).
- Pay the tuition fee of €500.
- Receive an automated confirmation email with:
- Enrollment confirmation
- Course dates & session times
- Reading list and preparation instructions
- Instructor contact details
The course introduces students to the making of the African diaspora. The origin of the dispersal of Africans throughout the world is rooted in the various slave trades that spanned the 15th and 19th centuries. The students will learn about slavery and the slave trade in Africa, including the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Arabian Peninsula/Indian Ocean slave trade, the reuniting of Africans and the African diaspora through Pan-Africanism, and the contemporary relations between the two regions. The African Union has adopted the African Diaspora as the 6th region, signaling the historic ties between Africa and various parts of the world.
- The course introduces students to the making of the ‘old’ African diaspora.
- To delve into the cultural transfer and transformations resulting from the dispersion of African people throughout the globe from the fifteenth century to the present.
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
- State and explain the origins and development of communities of people of African descent outside the motherland, as well as the general significance of this development in global history.
- Independently formulate a clear and well-argued research question.
- Analyse and evaluate literature and sources to produce an original scholarly argument.
- The ability to identify new approaches within existing academic debates.
The course is organized as seminars that involve interactive participation, leadership, and written essays. Each student is expected to lead a discussion of at least one seminar theme. The seminar discussions should focus on the content of the readings; students should examine the central arguments and the supporting evidence to their critical satisfaction. The role of the seminar leader is to facilitate seminar discussions. Thus, while it is expected that every student does the assigned readings carefully and critically, the seminar leader must also bring to the class thought-provoking questions, issues, comments, and ideas from the readings to facilitate discussions. Seminar leaders will give an oral presentation before the open discussions. The paper must be distributed via email to the entire class at least a day before our meeting.
Participation in seminar activities and discussions helps demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the course content. Students are expected to read the assigned material for every session and consult additional sources wherever possible. They should take the lead in discussions and actively participate in facilitating the understanding of the course materials.
Each student is required to identify a topic of interest for an end-of-programme paper. After choosing topics, students will submit a concept paper to the instructor. The concept paper is expected to be a page long (1.5-spaced). It should include a brief statement on the topic's background, questions/issues to be explored, key debates/arguments to be made, and methods to be followed. It is important to include a clear thesis statement in your concept paper. A brief actual or tentative bibliography should also be included.
The purpose of the written essay is to demonstrate an understanding of the key debates relating to the happenings on historical antecedents of current happenings on the continent about the diasporan relationship. Consequently, the topic should be relevant to at least one seminar theme and highlight issues about contemporary African diasporan politics. The paper must be 5-7 pages, about 2000-3500 words, typed and 1.5-spaced in a 12-point font (Times Roman). The paper must be written on the same topic as the concept paper.
Components of the Marks
Evaluation format Weight
| Evaluation format | Weight |
|---|---|
| Seminar Leadership | 20% |
| Seminar Participation | 10% |
| Concept Paper | 10% |
| Written Term Paper/end of semester exams | 60% |
| Total | 100% |
Readings:
- Zeleza, Paul T. (2005). Rewriting the African Diaspora: Beyond the Black Atlantic, African Affairs, 104(414): 35-68.
Readings
- Vink, Markus (2003). "The World's Oldest Trade": Dutch Slavery and Slave Trade in the Indian Ocean in the Seventeenth Century, Journal of World History, 14(2): 131-177.
- Eltis, David (2001). The Volume and Structure of the Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Reassessment, The William and Mary Quarterly, 58(1): 17-46.
- Richardson, David (2001). Shipboard Revolts, African Authority, and the Atlantic Slave Trade, The William and Mary Quarterly, 58(1): 69-92.
Readings:
- Mason, Matthew (2009). Keeping up Appearances: The International Politics of Slave Trade Abolition in the Nineteenth-Century Atlantic World, The William and Mary Quarterly, 66(4): 809-832.
- Whyte, Christine (2015). "Freedom But Nothing Else": The Legacies of Slavery and Abolition in Post-Slavery Sierra Leone, 1928-1956, The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 48(2): 231-250.
- Lecocq, Baz and Éric Komlavi Hahonou (2015). Introduction: Exploring Post-Slavery in Contemporary Africa, The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 48(2): 181-192.
- M'bayo, Tamba E. (2004). W. E. B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, and Pan-Africanism in Liberia, 1919–1924, The Historian, 66(1): 19-44.
- Shepperson, George (1962). Pan-Africanism and "Pan-Africanism": Some Historical Notes, Phylon, 23(4): 346-358.
Readings
- Blyden, Nemata A. (2004). "Back to Africa:" The Migration of New World Blacks to Sierra Leone and Liberia, OAH Magazine of History, 18(3): 23-25.
- Edozie, Rita K. (2012). The Sixth Zone: The African Diaspora and the African Union's Global Era Pan Africanism, Journal of African American Studies, 16(2): 268-299.