September 25 - October 8, 2017

Field School:
Africa-Asia Connections in Cape Town

South Africa, and the city of Cape Town in particular, has long been a focal point of historical and contemporary connections between Africa and Asia. These include different forms of mobility (e.g. Indian indentured labourers in colonial South Africa, Chinese investors in present-day Africa, African business people and students in today’s Chinese megacities) as well as flows of goods and ideas, as reflected for example in South Africa’s markets, heritage, and popular culture. The translocal lifeworlds and everyday experiences of Cape Town’s inhabitants illustrate historical and contemporary movements, entanglements, and ruptures across the Indian Ocean. The field school „Asia-Africa Connections“ aims to foster a deeper understanding of different forms of interconnections and mobility within the Global South.

Through a balanced mix of course work, student workshops and joint excursions, the field school promotes exchange and debate between German and South African students interested in the subject of Africa-Asia connections. Additionally group excursions to selected destinations of both historical and anthropological relevance in and around Cape Town were organized thus the summer school offered thematic input, intellectual exchange, as well as intercultural experience.