Ernest Cole, left, and Elijah Madukuli. Credit: University of Michigan.
Over the years, the Department of African Studies Center (ASC) of the University of Michigan has shown profound support for black African students across the continent. The beneficiaries of the support, Ernesta Cole, who is graduating with the Masters in International and Regional Studies Programme with Africa Studies Specialisation from University of Michigan (UM), as well as Eliah Madukuli, who is also graduating with Masters degree in the same programme as Cole, share their experiences which explain how ASC has had tremendous impact on their education at UM.
In the case of Cole, she benefitted from the support for Student Research and Internship in African funding from the ASC for her research on Sierra Leone.
With this support from ASC, she has recorded a milestone having been selected to participate in public presentation at UM- the International Institutes Graduate Student Lightning Talks, intimating incoming MIRS students of her research on indigenous languages.
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Cole, the only black woman in her year of the MIRS programme, will as well showcase her research on current African Studies canon and linguistic Standard in academia of the 6th Annual Rackham Tedx style King.
She was also selected as the student speaker for the 2023 International Institute Graduation Ceremony.
For Madukuli, he enjoyed the African Study Center’s financial support, noting that the largesse has made his dream come true to study at the best university in the US.
He equally recognized Michigan as having perfect environment for learning and creativity, eager to help its students academically with fantastic helpful resources, professors, and students.
Madukuli said, “As a graduate, I held myself to a high standard and achieved many accomplishments academically due to them…” encouraging International students to bring a variety of warm winter clothes in preparation for the cold and anticipate lots of snow.
ASC provides strategic guidance and coordination for Africa-related education, research and training activities on campus. It promotes opportunities for collaboration with African partners on the continent.
Came into being in 2008, the center serves as a conduit for the university, many Africa initiatives in the sciences, arts, humanities, social sciences, engineering and medicine.
ASC focuses on five primary research initiatives such as African Heritage and Humanity (AHHI), African Social Research (ASRI), Ethiopia – Michigan Collaborative Consortium (EMC2), Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM- Africa), UM African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS) Programme.
The five primary research initiatives have been funded separately by the office of the president and different stakeholders on campus.
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