Fallou Ngom Appointed Director of African Studies Center
Fallou Ngom, Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Boston University, has been appointed as the new director of the African Studies Center at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. His appointment is for the period 2017-2020 and he succeeds Prof. Timothy Longman at the position.
In making the appointment, Dean Adil Najam of the Pardee School of Global Studies welcomed Ngom to the position and thanked Longman for his numerous contributions to the center.
“I am very grateful to Prof. Longman for his stellar contributions both to the African Studies Center and the Pardee School and delighted that Prof. Fallou Ngom has agreed to be the center’s new Director,” Najam said. “The African Studies Center is already amongst the most respected academic centers of African studies in America and I look forward to working closely with Prof. Ngom in building on its legacy at a time that is particularly exciting not just for the center, but for Africa.”
Ngom’s current research interests include the interactions between African languages and non-African languages, the Africanization of Islam, and Ajami literatures—records of West African languages written in Arabic script. He hopes to help train the first generation of American scholars to have direct access into the wealth of knowledge still buried in West African Ajami literatures, and the historical, cultural, and religious heritage that has found expression in this manner. He said his goal as incoming Director of the African Studies Center is to be at the forefront of training in African languages and culture.
“We want to train the best 21st-century experts of Africa across disciplines by providing them with optimal language and cultural skills to understand African realities and opportunities,” Ngom said.
Founded in 1953, the African Studies Center has provided a strong foundation in African studies to generations of university professors, economists, health workers, government officials, development personnel, diplomats, and numerous others. The African Studies Center offers a rigorous academic program to students pursuing degrees in a variety of fields. Over 90 faculty and researchers in 20 schools and departments throughout BU are affiliated with the ASC and offer a wide range of courses with significant Africa content. Undergraduates can earn a Minor in African Studies or a Minor in African Languages & Literature. Graduate students can earn a Certificate in African Studies while completing a master’s or doctorate.