Centre of African Studies

Understanding Africa in the contemporary world

The University of Edinburgh has an important and long historical connection with Africa, and the Centre of African Studies (CAS) is a world leading centre for the study of Africa.

Founded in 1962, CAS provides interdisciplinary undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and supervision on Africa and international development. We host a vibrant research community, committed to critical and cutting-edge theoretical and empirical approaches, placing African experiences at the centre of interdisciplinary scholarship.

We are the largest centre of African studies in Europe and regularly appear at the top of UK good university guides. We deliver a range of high-quality masters programmes on campus and online. We run prestigious PhD programmes that attract students from across the world.

About

The Centre acts as a focal point for postgraduate teaching and supervision on Africa and a hub for research programmes that span all three of the University’s colleges.

Programmes

We offer a range of taught and research postgraduate programmes in African studies. Our thriving and cosmopolitan community of graduate students study for the degrees of PhD, MSc, Diploma or Certificate.

Research

We undertake cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research across the continent. Our scholars are committed to the critical study of a diverse range of topics as well as the pursuit of inclusive, ethical and equitable partnerships.

People

Meet the whole team and find out more about areas of interest of academic colleagues.

News

The latest news from the Centre of African Studies.

Events

The latest events from the Centre of African Studies.

Contact

We’re based in George Square at the heart of the Central campus. A lively and vibrant hub (especially in August during the Festival Fringe).

Centre of African Studies (CAS) Newsletter

Read the latest issue of the CAS Newsletter.

You may also be interested in Critical African Studies (CrAS)

The journal publishes critical interdisciplinary research about Africa and the diaspora, covering a range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. CrAS was established by the Centre of African Studies in 2009 and now more than half of the editorial and advisory board are based at African universities.

Spotlight on African Studies Ph.D. Graduates

The Ph.D. in African Studies at the University of Edinburgh is an interdisciplinary doctoral programme and one of the leading places in Europe to study political, economic, and social developments on the continent.

CAS Seminar Series

Every year, we organise a series of bespoke seminars, with outstanding Guest Speakers and Discussants.

CAS Annual Conference

Every year, CAS hosts an annual conference that draws leading experts, scholars, and professionals from around the world.

Photo of a city at dusk beside an aerial photo of a section of the Amazon rainforest

25/03/2025

Centre of African Studies

SPS academics receive research awards from the Royal Society of Edinburgh

Two academics from the School of Social and Political Science (SPS) have received Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Research Awards, for projects on the energy transition in Africa and ecofeminism in Brazilian Amazonia. 

25/07/2024

Centre of African Studies

SPS academic awarded UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship

School of Social and Political Science (SPS) academic Dr Mohammad Amir Anwar has received a prestigious Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF) from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

02/07/2024

Centre of African Studies

2025 Centre of African Studies Annual Conference - Call for Papers

Call for papers now closed.
Theme: Climate Dynamics and the Politics of a Post-Carbon Africa.

Photo taken from the back of the conference room, with people seated and looking at a projector screen

21/06/2024

Centre of African Studies

SPS conference provides latest insight on security in Africa

The School of Social and Political Science (SPS) hosted a conference that provided new insights on security in Africa, focusing on the relationships between everyday actors and state-driven violence.

29 October 2025

16:00 - 17:30

Centre of African Studies

Exploring the social determinants of malaria in Uganda: the role of livelihoods

This seminar presents findings from a qualitative study that explored perceptions and understanding of the social determinants of malaria in Uganda. The stakeholders interviewed highlighted a range of key livelihood activities, including maize cultivation, livestock rearing, construction and occupations conducted at dusk/night that they related to increased risk of malaria.

12 November 2025

16:15 - 18:30

Centre of African Studies

How Koitalel Lost His Head: A Kenyan History of Heroic Resistance, 1905-2025

Koitalel is the most celebrated of all Kenya’s heroes of resistance. Shot by a treacherous British officer, it is now said that Koitalel was beheaded by his assassin, and that his skull is displayed in the British Museum. Abundant historical evidence disproves this claim, yet it circulates widely. This lecture will explain how Koitalel “lost his head” and discuss why Africa’s history is being misrepresented by exaggerated tropes of colonial atrocity.

28 January 2026

16:00 - 17:30

Centre of African Studies

The Railpolitik: Leadership and Agency in Sino-African Infrastructure Development

Join this online talk with Dr Yuan Wang (Peking University), as she introduces her book The Railpolitik: Leadership and Agency in Sino-African Infrastructure Development, investigating the interactions between Chinese state actors and African politics.

25 February 2026

16:00 - 17:30

Centre of African Studies

Rethinking Environmentalism in Response to Resource Extraction in South Africa, Zambia and Nigeria

Oil spills, sinkholes, and toxic tailings shape life in the Niger Delta, the Zambian Copperbelt, and Johannesburg’s goldfields. But so do protest songs, spiritual rituals, and everyday acts of care. This talk uncovers the powerful—and deeply personal—ways communities push back against pollution in some of the world’s most extractive landscapes.

School of Social and Political Science