Harvard Expands Africa Studies With Courses in History, Anthro

The University is expanding rapidly its courses on Africa in response to increasing student interest in that subject.

Last year the University offered its first two courses on Africa--one in Government, the other in Economics. This fall it has added courses in History and Anthropology.

At present there are no plans to establish a formal African studies program at Harvard similar to the graduate programs on East Asia, the Middle East, and the Soviet Union. However, by broadening its activities in the area of African studies, the University "is laying a foundation on which a formal program could be built at some future date," declared Rupert Emerson '22, professor of Government.

The setting up of such a program, according to Emerson, "requires a group of first rate people to do the teaching and research."

Can't Teach Swahill

A lack of qualified instructors definitely hampers the teaching of African languages like Houssa and Swahill, which would form a necessary part of any formal program of regional studies. Harvard does not expect to offer such courses in the immediate future.

"The important thing to remember," Emerson said, "is that we are having more people concerned with Africa come to Harvard; that we are giving more courses on Africa; and that we are doing more research in that area."

Even in the absence of a formal African studies program, an estimated 30 to 40 graduate students are currently devoting a major part of their time to work on Africa. A group of scholars which could form the nucleus for a formal program is doing African research at the Center for International Affairs.

Robert Rotberg, lecturer on History, stressed that research on Africa has grown tremendously in recent years. Much remains to be done, however. "Only in the last five years did we realize that Africa had a history," he noted.

With the introduction of History 190, "The History of Africa and Its Emergence in Modern Times," Harvard has become one of only a score of American universities which offer courses in African history. Still, Africans who wish to learn about their own history are forced to go to Europe or the United States, as most of the work in the field is being carried on there.