IFAS-Research - French Institute for Research in South Africa

IFAS-Research - French Institute for Research in South Africa Since April 2007, IFAS Research has become a joint CNRS (French National Research Centre)-French Department of Foreign Affairs Research Unit.

IFAS-Research, established in 1995 in Johannesburg, is a French Research Institutes Abroad (UMIFRE), supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Under the authority of the Embassy of France in South Africa, IFAS-Research, based in Johannesburg, is the research section of the French Institute of South Africa that includes a research as well as a cultural section, under the management of the Cultural Attaché of the Embassy. IFAS-Research falls under the administrative and scientific authority of the Division de l’Archéologie et des Sciences humaines et sociales (“Archaeology and Social Sciences Division”) of the Sous-direction des échanges scientifiques et de la recherche (“Sub-Directorate for Scientific exchanges and Research”), within the Direction Générale de la Mondialisation, des partenariats et de l’attractivité (DGM / “Directorate General for Globalisation, partnerships and attractiveness”) of the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. As such, it is part of a global network of 27 institutes for research in Human and Social Sciences falling under the same authority, of which 7 are on the African continent. This means that IFAS, like its other African counterparts, is now officially an UMIFRE (Unité Mixte des Instituts de Recherche Français à l’Etranger), more precisely UMIFRE 25. IFAS Research is also part of an USR (Unité de Service et de Recherche) of the CNRS with the Institutes of Khartoum (Sudan), Nairobi (Kenya), and Ibadan (Nigeria) under the name of USR 3336 – Afrique au Sud du Sahara.

From 14 to 18 September 2026, the international research network RAHMSA – Rock Art Heritage Management in Southern Afric...
29/09/2026

From 14 to 18 September 2026, the international research network RAHMSA – Rock Art Heritage Management in Southern Africa – held its fourth workshop in the Masunga area of Botswana. Entitled Guiding Visitors at Rock Art Sites, the five-day training brought together 34 participants and trainers from 11 countries, alongside members of the local communities of Kalamakati and Nlakhwane. Researchers, students, heritage professionals, guides and local actors worked together on the challenges of conservation, interpretation and the development of sustainable visitor experiences at rock art sites.

Beyond the transmission of scientific knowledge, the workshop adopted a multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach, bringing research, local knowledge and professional experience into conversation. Participants were encouraged to think about rock art sites at the scale of the landscape, integrating villages, natural and cultural resources, as well as local practices, into visitor itineraries. Working in groups, they developed and tested visitor experiences around Kalamakati and Matenge, considering at once the stories shared with visitors, the conservation of the sites and potential local benefits.

This fourth workshop reflects RAHMSA’s broader approach, combining training, knowledge transfer and field-based experimentation within an international network bringing together partners from France, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The network’s fifth and final workshop will take place in Zimbabwe in April 2027.

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/ANRCosmoArt

From September 6 to 9, 2026, IFAS-Research, IRD in Southern Africa and the School of Social Sciences at the University o...
17/09/2026

From September 6 to 9, 2026, IFAS-Research, IRD in Southern Africa and the School of Social Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, organized the second symposium of the Beyond Binaries project, which aims to rethink South-North relations in knowledge production.

Over the course of two days, young researchers supported by IRD, Wits Social Sciences and IFAS-Research attended lectures on issues related to fieldwork (research methods and ethics, researcher positionality, safety and vulnerability in the field), as well as small-group workshops designed to help them finalize their articles for peer-reviewed submission. A roundtable discussion also facilitated a dialogue between the sciences and the social sciences centred on safety in the field.

The program will continue in 2027 with the publication of a special issue of Lesedi, dedicated to reflexive approaches to fiedwork, as well as preparation for a book with Wits University Press compiling the work of the first cohort. A second cohort of doctoral students should also continue the program.

Following the ANR COSMO-ART project, coordinated by Mélanie Duval (CNRS, UMR 5204 Edytem) and supported by IFAS-Research...
10/09/2026

Following the ANR COSMO-ART project, coordinated by Mélanie Duval (CNRS, UMR 5204 Edytem) and supported by IFAS-Research, the international research network IRN RAHMSA (Rock Art Heritage Management in Southern Africa) continues research and discussion on the management and valorisation of rock art heritage in Southern Africa. The network brings together researchers from Botswana, France, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, working across several disciplines.

As part of this initiative, a workshop will take place from 14 to 18 September 2026, focusing on the visitor experience at rock art sites. Discussions will address site preservation, interpretation and narrative practices, community involvement, accessibility for diverse audiences, and the development of rock art tourism.

On 9 and 10 September 2026, the Wits University’s School of Social Sciences, IRD and IFAS-Research are hosting the secon...
07/09/2026

On 9 and 10 September 2026, the Wits University’s School of Social Sciences, IRD and IFAS-Research are hosting the second Beyond Binaries colloquium, “Notes from the Field: Ethnography and Extraction in Southern Africa”. This gathering follows the first colloquium held in September 2025 and brings together postgraduate students, emerging researchers and academics to explore questions of fieldwork, ethics and knowledge production in the humanities and social sciences, through plenary sessions, small-group workshops on paper revisions, and a public roundtable. The panels and the roundtable are open to the public.

On 10 September at 1pm, a roundtable on fieldwork safety and institutional support will bring together (CNRS), Mary Evans (Wits), Nechama Brodie (Wits) and Joel Quirk (Wits), exploring the links between the humanities and the sciences.

From June 29 to July 2, IFAS-Recherche was present at the Rencontres des Études Africaines en France (REAF). During the ...
31/08/2026

From June 29 to July 2, IFAS-Recherche was present at the Rencontres des Études Africaines en France (REAF). During the event, the institute took part in discussions highlighting the role of French research institutes abroad and international collaboration in African studies. On July 1, the roundtable discussion “International Collaboration at the Heart of Research: Meetings with the Directors of Research Units in Africa” brought together the directors of UMIFRE units based on the African continent (Tunisia, Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Kenya) and highlighted the role of these institutes. On July 2, our research-creation program organized with IFRA-Nigeria was also presented by Pauline Guinard (director of IFRA-Nigeria) and Annael Le Poullennec.

Earlier, on June 16, as part of the “Ciné-dialogues Afrique” conference series conceived and organized by Anna Bruzzone (IMAF), IFAS-Recherche co-organized a screening of This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection (2019) by Lesotho-born director Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese at the Condorcet Campus. The screening was followed by a discussion between the director, Anna Bruzzone, and Annael Le Poullennec, director of IFAS-Recherche and a specialist in contemporary South African cinema. Through the support of the Institute of African Worlds (IMAF), the audience was able to discover or rediscover this Lesotho film and exchange with its director on the themes of memory, territory, and resistance that it explores.

On 27 August 2026, Joel Quirk, Professor of Political Science at the University of the Witwatersrand, organises the roun...
31/08/2026

On 27 August 2026, Joel Quirk, Professor of Political Science at the University of the Witwatersrand, organises the roundtable Keeping Safe(r): Developing Better Policies and Strategies for Doing Fieldwork Safely as part of the Beyond Binaries project. The event brings together researchers from different disciplines across the humanities and social sciences to reflect on how to ensure the safety and wellbeing of researchers during fieldwork. Speakers include Keketso Peete, a Beyond Binaries fellow, and Laurent Vidal (IRD). Discussions focus on key issues related to preparing for challenging fieldwork, researchers’ vulnerabilities and positionality, as well as the institutional support mechanisms needed to better accompany research conducted in complex environments.

University of the Witwatersrand, Postgraduate Research Hub, 2nd Floor, Salomon House and online.

On 6 August 2026, IFAS-Recherche supported the international colloquium Rethinking Disability: Participation, Equity and...
31/08/2026

On 6 August 2026, IFAS-Recherche supported the international colloquium Rethinking Disability: Participation, Equity and Work, held at the University of Johannesburg. The event, funded through IFAS-Recherche 2026 call for events, was organised by Daniela Ortiz Conrado (LISE – CNRS/CNAM) and Tinovimba Patsika (University of Johannesburg).

Bringing together researchers and activists from France and South Africa, the colloquium explored issues of participation, inclusion and exclusion experienced by persons with disabilities. Through a series of round-table discussions, participants examined the relationships between disability, employment, multidimensional poverty, capabilities and social participation, while reflecting on practical ways to strengthen equity and inclusion.

A central objective of the colloquium was not to compare the French and South African contexts, but rather to explore how each can shed light on the other. By bringing together perspectives from different national, institutional and disciplinary settings, participants demonstrated the value of joint scientific events in fostering dialogue, generating new research questions and enriching understandings of shared social challenges.

From 29 to 31 July 2026, IFAS-Research is proud to be a partner of the 3rd Towards Critical Apartheid Studies Studies Co...
27/07/2026

From 29 to 31 July 2026, IFAS-Research is proud to be a partner of the 3rd Towards Critical Apartheid Studies Studies Conference, taking place at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Over three days, the conference will bring together scholars, artists, activists and practitioners from South Africa and beyond to examine how the legacies and logics of apartheid continue to shape societies, politics and imaginaries across different contexts.

Swipe through to discover a selection of this year's programme, showcasing the diversity of perspectives, formats and conversations that will animate the conference.

📍 University of the Witwatersrand

🗓️ 29–31 July 2026

🔗 RSVP link : forms.gle/sxAj2vSvhxjAQ2pr8

[Conference] 📣 Join the PRESPOL (Disability, employment and social policies) for its upcoming international conference “...
23/06/2026

[Conference] 📣 Join the PRESPOL (Disability, employment and social policies) for its upcoming international conference “Rethinking disability: participation, equity and work”, in partnership with IFAS-Research.

📅 Monday, August 3rd
⏰ 9.00 – 18.30
📌 University of Johannesburg Library (Auckland Park Campus)
💻 In-person and online participation
🎟RSVP: https://lydssaf-2026.sciencesconf.org/registration?lang=en
🔗Details and program: https://lydssaf-2026.sciencesconf.org/?lang=en

This event aims to promote scientific and international cooperation on the participation of people with disabilities in society, with a particular focus on the dynamics observed in South Africa and France, while also opening the discussion to broader comparative perspectives. Discussions will explore processes of inclusion and exclusion in order to better understand the structural barriers to participation and identify concrete ways to strengthen social equity. The lived experiences of people with disabilities will also be highlighted through the perspectives of community organisations and local groups.

An initiative led by Daniela Ortiz Conrado (PhD student at Lise, Cnam-CNRS) and Dr Tinovimba P. Patsika (postdoctoral researcher at the University of Johannesburg) and co-funded by the PRESPOL program, the University of Johannesburg, IFAS-Research and the CNRS.

CNRS
Umifre -Unités mixtes Instituts français de recherche à l'étranger-
Conservatoire national des arts et métiers
University of Johannesburg
Lydssaf

🔎🧐 Découvrez notre nouveau portrait de recherche ! | Discover our new Research Portrait! 🧐🔎Naomi Rio est doctorante à l’...
09/06/2026

🔎🧐 Découvrez notre nouveau portrait de recherche ! | Discover our new Research Portrait! 🧐🔎

Naomi Rio est doctorante à l’Université de Hambourg, sous la direction de Kathleen Vogel de l’Université d’État de l’Arizona, et allocataire 2025 de l'IFAS-Recherche.

👉 Intitulée « “Project Coast”, le programme d’armement chimique et biologique sous l’apartheid : révision historique et implications sécuritaires de nos jours », la thèse de Naomi analyse en profondeur le “Project Coast” afin de mieux comprendre son fonctionnement et ses liens avec l’appareil de surveillance du régime de l’apartheid. Son travail vise également à éclairer les conditions de mise en place de tels programmes d’armement chimique ou biologique par un État, à la lumière du contexte géopolitique actuel.

🔗 Pour en apprendre plus sur le travail de Naomi, retrouvez son dernier article « Silent Killers, Not Signals: Why States Use Poison in Assassinations » : https://warontherocks.com/silent-killers-not-signals-why-states-use-poison-in-assassinations/

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Naomi Rio is a PhD student at the University of Hamburg, supervised by Prof. Kathleen Vogel from Arizona State University, and 2025 IFAS-Research grantee.

👉 Titled “‘Project Coast’, South Africa’s Apartheid-Era Chemical and Biological Warfare Program: a historical reassessment and contemporary security implications”, Naomi’s PhD research investigates “Project Coast” to better understand how it was operated and its links with the Apartheid regime’s surveillance system. Her work also aims to highlight the conditions under which a State establishes such chemical and biological warfare programs, in relation to the current geopolitical context.

🔗 To learn more about Naomi’s work, read her recent article “Silent Killers, Not Signals: Why States Use Poison in Assassinations” : https://warontherocks.com/silent-killers-not-signals-why-states-use-poison-in-assassinations/

Umifre -Unités mixtes Instituts français de recherche à l'étranger-
France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi
CNRS
French Institute of South Africa

Address

62 Juta Street, Braamfontein
Johannesburg
2001

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 18:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 18:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 18:00
Thursday 09:00 - 18:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27114030458

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