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African Studies centres from Africa, Europe, Latin America and Asia came together in Maputo to exchange experiences, discuss shared challenges and explore new possibilities for cooperation, knowledge co-creation and stronger research networks.

On 10 and 11 September 2026, the Centre of African Studies at Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo hosted the workshop African Studies Centres: Infrastructures, Networks, Research and Outreach. The event was co-convened with the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence and the University of Bayreuth.

The workshop brought together representatives of African Studies centres from four continents. It offered an opportunity to compare experiences, reflect on the development of different institutions and discuss the role such centres play in shaping African Studies in their respective regional contexts.

A central focus was the question of how cooperation between institutions can be strengthened over the longer term. Participants discussed research networks, knowledge co-creation, mentorship and engagement with society, as well as the opportunities and challenges involved in building sustained partnerships across different academic and institutional settings.

Participating institutions included the Centre of African Studies in Maputo; the Africa Multiple Research Centres at Moi University, Rhodes University, Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo and the University of Lagos; Les Afriques dans le Monde in Bordeaux; CEAO at the Federal University of Bahia; African and Caribbean Studies at the University of Costa Rica; the Institute of African Studies and Diaspora Studies in New Delhi; the Institute of African Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies; African Studies at Université Mohammed V; the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence in Bayreuth; and the International Institute for Asian Studies in Leiden.

The meeting also continued a broader conversation within the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence about more relational approaches to African Studies and about the importance of connecting institutions, perspectives and academic traditions across regions.