The International Scientific Committee of the Volume IX of the General History of Africa is meeting in Xiamen, China from 4 to 9 December 2017 to discuss and validate the last contributions that are going to be integrated in this publication.
After the opening session organized in the presence of the Vice-President of Xiamen University on 4 December, Prof. Anshan Li, Chinese member of the Committee, gave a keynote speech on the theme of “Volume IX of the General History of Africa: issues and relevancy for China”.
While pursuing its work, the Committee also took advantage of its sixth meeting in China to exchange with Chinese scholars and students during a public conference on 5 December.
Structured around 4 major presentations, the conference showcased some important orientations of this Volume:
- China-Africa relations: a historical perspective by Prof Anshan Li
- The future of Africa: new challenges and opportunities by Prof. Catherine Coquery Vidrovitch
- Global African Diasporas: By Prof. Sheila Walker
- Decolonizing the future of China-Africa relations by M. Martial Ze Belinga
The debate between members of the Committee and the audience highlighted the historical dynamic of interactions and cooperation between Africa and China.
On 9 December, the Committee will validate the first version of the manuscript of this Volume that will be one of the highlights of UNESCO’s contribution to the UN International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024).