Mamadou Diouf

Professor Diouf is the head of the African Institute at SIPA and he is really intelligent. So intelligent, in fact, that he is slightly intimidating. Our class was supposed to be a discussion, but he is so knowledgeable that it would sometimes turn into a lecture. I originally signed up for this class and was planning to drop it because I didn't actually need to take it, but because of the lecture on the first day knew that I HAD to take it because he was just so interesting and organized that I knew it would be unbeatable. And it was. Our readings were really relevant, and he did a good job of getting across an idea of a history of an entire continent of people. One slight problem was the scope of the class because it sometimes got confusing (obviously, it's a class on a whole continent), but he is also available during office hours and by appointment to go over issues. He sometimes seems uninterested in the quieter or less educated students, but once you break through his barriers he really is a nice man.

how to think of the African continent holistically and not defining its history when colonialism occured.

Lots of reading, responses each week, a final 20 page paper.

You learn a lot about pre-colonial Africa and the value of all historical sources (written, oral, non-written, art, archeology).

I learned about the history of Africa prior to colonialism. The course dealt with themes such as religion, trade, race, and politics.

Trends in precolonial African history by region and theme.

I learned about research methodologies and general history of Africa. Has a heavier focus on anthropology than history.

I recommend this class to anyone with a strong interest in history. Would not recommend if you hate history or don't have time for the bi-weekly readings/responses. Professor Diouf is a captivating speaker and I enjoyed every class.

African prehistory and history prior to colonialism.

I learned about different research styles in pre-colonial research.