Bigsas Bayreuth

✨Congratulations, Dr. Thierry Boudjekeu Kamgang!

Huge congratulations to Dr. Thierry Boudjekeu Kamgang! Today, he officially received his doctoral certificate.

He successfully defended his outstanding dissertation on the topic: “Writing the Slave Trade Trauma in Francophone Africa: A Study of Selected Novels“.

We are incredibly proud of his hard work, dedication, and academic contribution to the BIGSAS community. Please join us in wishing Dr. Boudjekeu Kamgang all the very best for his future academic and professional journey!💐



BIGSAS Scholars

What a powerful start to the week! ✨

From Monday, July 20th to Wednesday, July 22nd, we joined a writing retreat hosted by Prof. Jana Hönke, organised by her chair and the Portfolio Early Career & Equal Opportunity of Africa Multiple - Cluster the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence.

Three days of deep focus, shared reflections, and honest conversations about the challenges of academic writing, all wrapped up on Wednesday afternoon with an inspiring session by Prof. Stefan Ouma on the Politics of Publishing.

Grateful for the space to think, write, and grow together. A big thank you to everyone who participated and contributed, and a very special thanks to Prof. Hönke and Prof. Ouma for their guidance and generosity.

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BIGSAS Scholars

Last Saturday, the Africa Multiple - Cluster (Africa Multiple Cluster) hosted a vibrant gathering in Reichshof right in the middle of the Karibik Afrika Festival.

These Pictures capture moments from our cluster exhibition, celebrating creativity, community, and the many voices that shape African knowledge production in Bayreuth.

Grateful for everyone who joined us and made the day unforgettable.✨

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BIGSAS proudly celebrates Dr. Valerie Nur, whose outstanding ethnographic work has been honored with the Ethnography Research Award of the Section for Sociology of Knowledge of the German Sociological Association (DGS).

Her book The Unsteadiness of Things, based on 21 months of fieldwork among Tuareg artisans in Niger, continues to receive remarkable recognition, this award marks the third research prize granted for her dissertation.

A moment of appreciation, shared with Prof. Norbert Schröer and Prof. Angelika Poferl, captured beautifully by Dr. Luis Bastidas.

A strong reminder of how powerful and insightful ethnographic research can be.

Congratulations Valerie🎉

Congratulations to Godelive Batano Kusimwa!

We are delighted to celebrate the successful defence of Godelive’s doctoral dissertation.

Her dissertation, “Rethinking child labour in cobalt artisanal and small-scale mining of DRC”, offers an important contribution to critical discussions on labour, resource extraction, and social realities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Congratulations Godelive, on this remarkable achievement! We wish you continued success in your academic journey and future endeavours.

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Once upon a time, he acted and she was beautiful: Reading gender in Egyptian folktales

Why is the prince named while the princess remains “the king’s daughter”? Why are women often remembered for beauty, while wisdom comes only with age? Who drives the story—and who waits to be saved?

This talk explores how Egyptian folktales shape ideas of masculinity and femininity through language, storytelling, and cultural memory. Drawing on two collections of Egyptian tales, it asks:

Do folktales simply reproduce social norms, or do they also challenge and transform them?

📅 16 July 2026
⏰ 14:00
📍 S 145/146 (FZA)

Join us for a journey into the hidden gender worlds of Egyptian storytelling.

The Work- in- Progress seminar organised by Early Career & Equal Opportunity🎉

Next Monday, we warmly invite you to join us for Bolatito Kolawole’s (AMRC Lagos) presentation:
Beyond ‘Elitist Parents’ and ‘Lazy Children’: An Intergenerational Study of Language Shift among Tertiary‑educated Yoruba people in Lagos.

See you at 6 pm in Room 0.22 (FZA)






afriZert Uni Bayreuth .scholarsbt Africa Multiple - Cluster

Meet our new Head of BIGSAS - Prof. Dr Thoko Kaime

We are delighted to welcome Prof. Dr Thoko Kaime as the new Head of BIGSAS.
Officially elected in July 2026 as Vice Dean for Early Career & Equal Opportunity, Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, Prof. Dr Kaime also assumes the role of Head of BIGSAS, succeeding Prof. Dr Susanne Mühleisen. We warmly congratulate Prof. Dr Kaime on this appointment and look forward to the leadership, vision, and expertise he will bring to the BIGSAS community.
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Meet our new Deputy Head of BIGSAS!

We are delighted to welcome Prof. Dr Serawit Bekele Debele as the new Deputy Head of BIGSAS.
Officially elected in April 2026, Prof. Dr Debele succeeds Prof. Dr Alexander Stroh-Steckelberg in this role. We warmly congratulate Prof. Dr Debele on this appointment and look forward to to the valuable perspectives and leadership she will bring to the BIGSAS community.
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