Alumni Spotlight Series: Xu Zhang (2024)
The following interview is part of the Council on African Studies’ Alumni Spotlight series featuring graduates from both the Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees in African Studies. Xu Zhang graduated with an MA in African Studies in 2024.
Let’s start with an introduction.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself—your background, interests, and what you are currently doing?
My name is Xu Zhang and I'm from China. I received my B.A. degree in International Politics from Peking University, China, and M.A. degree in African Studies from Yale. My research focuses on informal mining across southern African countries. I'm interested in using anthropological perspectives to understand the interaction between precarious labor and mining communities within the critical discussion of Anthropocene. My M.A. thesis is based on my fieldwork in the Copperbelt, Zambia regarding copper slag dumpsites. During the summer of 2023, I conducted fieldwork in Wusakile community in Kitwe to explore the social landscape of Black Mountain where local young people are wringing wealth from the waste left behind after decades of destructive mining practices. I examined the variable position of Black Mountain in Zambia’s mining history, copper industry, social welfare, community memory, and transnational investment, with a specific focus on the agency and moral self-empowerment of local youth against the dominant logistic of capitalism and the residual of colonization.
In 2025, I completed a Yale Fox Fellowship as a visiting scholar at the Environment Humanities South Program at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, with a specific focus on the research project of Zama Zamas and gold mining.
Academic journey:
What led you to choose African Studies as your focus at Yale? What inspired that path?
I found my interest in African Studies when I read some anthropological research on precarious labor in the global south as a junior. I became curious about how the issues of precarity, labor, capitalism, and politics are embedded in African history, culture, and traditions. I thus hoped to study and understand Africa through an interdisciplinary approach and the African Studies program at Yale was a perfect fit. I got the chance to learn from multiple perspectives including history, political science, and literature, and finally decided to locate my research in the field of anthropology. At the Council on African Studies (CAS), we not only attend classes but also learn through lectures, cultural events, and interactions with our cohort and faculty. Another reason is that CAS supports students’ fieldwork on the African continent, which was hugely helpful and almost life-changing to my research. My experience in Zambia has taught me to ask questions and investigate answers from local people's quotidian life. This experience connected me to a broader world and expanded my research horizon, inspiring me to pursue anthropology and become an Africanist.
Reflecting on your time at Yale:
What was your experience like at Yale? Are there any standout memories or moments that you feel capture your time there?
It was an intellectual, adventurous, and warm journey at Yale. I received much help and encouragement from our wonderful cohort and we spent a lot of lovely time together. I specially like the African Language Night when students across Yale gathered together at Macmillan Center to perform and present the unique culture activities of multiple African languages. I studied isiZulu for two years at Yale with Thisha Nandi, to whom I'm quite grateful, and our class performed the fantasy drama of Rapunzel in isiZulu. It was a fantastic chance for me to sense and study the language not only through textbooks or slides but also in a practical setting.
I also miss the time when our cohort sat together to discuss our research and thesis, whether in our "Thesis Therapy" classroom or peer workshops. It meant that we were familiar with each other's work and could provide help both emotionally and academically. I believe it is very important and valuable to have friends who share same interests and create a supportive community.
Personal and professional impact:
In what ways did your Yale experience and your African Studies degree shape your professional trajectory and personal growth?
It is not an exaggeration to say that Yale/CAS is the best institution to study Africa across US. Since I hope to pursue an academic career, I sincerely appreciate the training that I received from Yale, which is solid, practical, and comprehensive. Our degree syllabus is so carefully designed that it gives us enough time to find out our research topic and methodology but also makes sure we would have an interdisciplinary scope. Practically, as mentioned above, I got the chance to study isiZulu and conduct fieldwork in Zambia, both of which are profound and necessary for anthropology. I don't think you could find another institution that is able to provide so many language courses and such generous research fundings.
Moreover, I would like to underline that CAS is not only a degree program but more a community where scholars interested in Africa from other departments would frequently gather to discuss and communicate with each other. The classroom is almost full every time a lecture, seminar, workshop, or celebration is held in Macmillan center. We not only learn from our peers but also keep in touch closely with Yale's wonderful professors even beyond courses. For example, my advisor is Professor Louisa Lombard, a fantastic anthropologist, and received numerous helpful and inspiring suggestions during the whole process of my course, funding application, fieldwork, and thesis writing. I really want to express my sincere and deep gratitude to her. Besides, I was also very fortunate to participate in Professor Kate Baldwin's African Politics Workshop in which I presented my research proposal and got advice from political scientists. And of course, Professor Stephaine Newell, Jill Jarvis, and Cajetan Iheka gave other perspectives from literature and culture studies. So, to conclude, at Yale and CAS, I felt like I was being educated and trained as a growing scholar which means that every student's interest and research project is highly respected and acknowledged. I would not hesitate to say that it is at Yale that I learned how to be a good Africanist scholar as a result of the encouragement and support I received from CAS: to feel excited about exploring new knowledge, to be enthusiastic for fieldwork, and to dedicate myself to honest and authentic work.
Fox Fellowship connection:
How did your background in African Studies influence your decision to pursue the Fox Fellowship? How has the fellowship experience deepened or expanded your perspectives?
Due to Covid, I wasn't able to go to Africa before I enrolled at Yale, so I always felt like my experience of living and studying in Africa is limited. And after the two years at Yale, I became clearly aware of the importance of listening to and learning from African local scholars' works and life experiences. I hoped to find opportunities to locate myself in Africa after graduation from Yale and my advisor, Professor Louisa Lombard, recommended the Fox Fellowship to me, and I found it a perfect opportunity to immerse myself in the African continent - to be more specific, at the University of Cape Town (UCT), the best academic institution in Africa.
During my time at UCT, I mainly worked with the Environmental Humanities South program (EHS), an interdisciplinary research project led by Anthropology Professor Lesley Green. EHS is mostly composed of social scientists such as anthropologists and sociologists. They seek cooperation between social science and natural science to investigate the problematic of "critical zones". I felt fortunate to closely learn from these talented African scholars: they taught me how to critically understand the concepts and actions of African ecology and environmentalism. I had the chance to join their lecture series, seminars, workshops, and even documentary filming. Therefore, I'm sincerely grateful to the kindness and help from Professor Green and everyone at EHS. I also communicated with other scholars across UCT and participated in some student activities. What impressed me the most in my exchange experience, was the deep and close connection between academic research and the welfare of life/world: South African scholars' knowledge production is dedicated to the reflection of colonial/anti-colonial history, the critical discourse on social inequity, and the pursuit of "good life" (of course, including the debate about "what is good"). I obtained a lot of encouragement and suggestions from their work and actions.
Beyond the UCT campus, I truly enjoyed my life in Cape Town. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world—a striking meeting point of mountain (Table Mountain) and sea (the Atlantic Ocean). It was really a valuable chance for me to learn history via an embodied way: from the museums, landmarks, exhibitions, and memorials; I began to understand how a modern global history is based on slavery, conquest, colonization, and exploitation. Moreover, I also visited Johannesburg and got in touch with some scholars from University of Witwatersrand. I thus sincerely appreciate the generosity of Fox Fellowship.
Your work as a Fox Fellow:
Can you share more about your research or projects during your time as a Fox Fellow?
My Fox Fellowship research project was "Reclaiming the Gold: Violence, Precarity, and Community of Zama Zamas in South Africa". It is a continuation of my focus on informal mining but also expands my scope and deepens my understanding of South African society. In January 2025, I conducted fieldwork in Stilfontein where Vala Umgodi Operation caused the death of at least 87 people. I had interviews with local residents in Khuma, especially with former Zama Zamas. I specifically paid attention to the power structure and sociality among Zama Zama groups in the underground shafts to understand how Zama Zamas and local residents interpret the concept and practice of violence and illegality in their daily labor and life. I was also interested in the relationship between Zama Zamas and the history of migration labor across southern Africa. I'm still working on this project and would like to thank the South Africans who are willing to share their life experience with me.
Looking ahead:
As your Fox Fellowship ends, what are your plans or goals for the next few years?
I never doubt that I still want to pursue an academic career within the field of African Studies and Anthropology. I intend to apply to a PhD program in the future, and before returning to campus, I might seek some experience working in NGO-like institutions to learn more about the process of policy making regarding the regulation of mining, environment, migration, and labor.
Words of wisdom:
What advice would you offer to current graduate students in African Studies or to undergraduates considering a focus on Africa, whether at the undergraduate or graduate level?
Well, it is very hard to give general advice to everyone interested in African Studies, so I welcome anyone to chat with me. I'm really looking forward to hearing and learning about your story and experience. If I have to say some words, I prefer to express my sincere encouragement: African Studies is not just an indulgence into books or archives, but a dedication to connect ourselves to a real world which requires your reading, writing, and actions. Please do believe that our work is meaningful and your interests should be respected and acknowledged. And enjoy your time at CAS! Make friends with our wonderful cohorts, learn from our fantastic professors, have fun during our colorful events, and immerse yourself in courses, books, and fieldwork!