Prospectus

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Reading Africa

Course
2026-2027

Admission requirements

Open to students who have enrolled in the 2026-27 African Dynamics LDE minor.

Description

Reading Africa lays the foundation for your journey into understanding one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse continent. It offers a broad and integrated perspective on Africa’s past, present, and future, exploring the key factors that shape contemporary African societies through insights from multiple disciplines across the three LDE universities.

Interactive seminars, enriched by discussions and debates, invite you to engage critically with complex themes and deepen your appreciation of Africa’s diversity and potential. You will be guided through curated readings and online resources, and ultimately demonstrate your learning by creating a multimedia country profile—bringing together historical, social, economic, and partial perspectives in a compelling and creative way.

Course objectives

Upon successful completion of this course students will have:

1.     Foundational knowledge and understanding of:

  • Significant factors that shape societies in contemporary Africa;

  • Key characteristics of the African landscape;

  • Africa’s role in a globalised world and geo-political issues at play;

  • Methodological and ethical approaches to academic African studies.

2.     Developed skills and competencies to:

  • Critically search, structure and evaluate information about African nation states;

  • Consider relevant aspects in the analysis of complex questions;

  • Communicate own secondary research data through multimedia sources;

  • Actively engage in peer reflections;

  • Reflect on how Africa’s past, present and future relates to own discipline.

Timetable

Week 36 – 39. Timetable will be available on LEI Brightspace

Mode of instruction

The programme combines classroom lectures and interactive seminars across the campuses of Leiden University, Delft University of Technology, and Erasmus University Rotterdam - offering a truly collaborative LDE learning experience.
Active participation is essential to make the most of this minor. Attendance at all sessions is therefore expected. If unforeseen circumstances (such as illness or personal situations) prevent you from attending, inform the minor coordinator in advance.

Assessment method

Assessment and weighing

  • Country Profile multi-media video assignment: 60%

  • P2P feedback, review & questions: 30%

  • Country Portal Review: 10%

The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.

Resit

If the final mark - established by determining the weighted average is insufficient, the online Country Profile Video or Portal Review can be resubmitted in an agreed timeframe. Late Country Profile submissions cannot be peer evaluated! These candidates will therefore also not be able to provide feedback and accumulate the points that contributes to 30% to their final grade in Reading Africa.

Inspection and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.

Reading list

Prescribed reading available in the syllabus (Strive to use library and open source online publications).

Registration

Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory (only applies to LEI students).
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Guest students from TUD and EUR will be helped with their course enrollment.

Contact

Remarks

Leiden University Brightspace platform will be used for:

  • Announcements

  • Timetable

  • Course information

  • Documents

  • Discussions

  • Pitch2Peer

  • Grades

  • Calendar

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