CAS Student Symposium 2025: Charting Africa’s Next Chapter

The 2025 CAS Student Symposium gathered over 55 students and faculty members for an afternoon that centered Africa as the driving force behind diverse research, reflection, and discussion. The symposium created space for students to test ideas, challenge each other, and reimagine Africa’s future communities.

The range of projects reflected the full spectrum of academic engagement. Some were the final articulation of senior theses. Others had begun as term papers that took on new life. Some were early-stage explorations; others represented complete dissertation chapters shaped by years of fieldwork and archival study. Together, they formed a compelling cluster of intellectual curiosity grounded in real-world relevance.

Students presented work on urban pollution and displacement, health care systems, literary memory, political theology, climate data, economic policy, language transition, and more. The theme spread was vast, yet every project spoke to the realities of African life and future. Each presentation offered a distinct lens on the changing forms of African knowledge, policy, and innovation.

Beyond the content itself, the atmosphere was energizing. Students used the opportunity to practice public scholarship, refine their arguments, and connect with peers across disciplines. The space encouraged seriousness without formality—an environment where genuine learning and idea exchange could thrive.

At the center of it all was a shared commitment: a belief that Africa is not a backdrop to research—it is the context, the conversation, and the catalyst.

The Council on African Studies is proud to have sponsored this year’s symposium. It affirmed the value of providing space for generative work in a supportive environment. More than that, it affirmed the talent, vision, and resolve of scholars committed to thinking with and for Africa. 

View more pictures of the symposium - https://yalemacmillancenter.smugmug.com/browse/