MetroLutheran

The Office of the Provost at Gustavus Adolphus College recently announced the creation of an African Studies minor that will be offered to its students beginning with the 2012-13 academic year.
The African Studies minor is designed to offer students an opportunity to study the African continent and its peoples through varied courses across the curriculum. “Students will be encouraged to critically examine the connections between African phenomena and the heritage that was carried over to the African diaspora in the Americas and other parts of the world,” said Paschal Kyoore, professor of French and Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies, as well as director of the African Studies program.
“As a program that embraces international experience, it also encourages students to take advantage of opportunities that the college offers to study abroad in an African country,” Kyoore added.
African Studies is an interdisciplinary field that engages the historical, political, social, economic, and cultural experiences of Africans and peoples of African descent, as well as the aesthetic dimensions of these experiences through their art and literature. The program enhances the educational development of students and enables them to develop an appreciation for the contributions that Africans have made to world history and civilization.
“Graduates with an African Studies background can find employment in government, international development agencies, human services in immigrant communities, counseling service, foreign service, and the Peace Corps, among others,” Kyoore said.

Tags: African diaspora, African Studies minor, Gustavus Adolphus College, Paschal Kyoore