The Crisis of the African Intellectual

Next Saturday, September 27th, we discuss the classic by one of my favorite thinkers of all time: Frantz Fanon. Fanon completed The Wretched of the earth while battling leukemia. The book, written on the eve of independence in most African nations, is a very insightful reading of the history, present and possible trends in African political and social realities. Fanon exemplifies what Dubois called for in "The study of Negro problems": he articulated the problems, traced development and analyzes future possibilities.

For the PhD initiate, chapter 4 is interesting because it makes us focus on our personal implications as educated Africans in the larger social context. How does our status and training compromise or enhance our continent's ability to address the issues we confront? How is that affected by having a PhD?

Importance of higher education

Dubois

This weekend, after discussing what contribution PhD holders should make to society, we discuss two important thinkers on whether higher education really matters.Why should a nation invest in her people obtaining higher education? Of what value is university education? Is it just titles? Better jobs? What? And what should that education contain?


We will begin with chapters one and three of Souls of black folk, by W.E.B Dubois Since the book was published in the second-last century, it's in public domain on the internet. We will then discuss Mamdani's article The Importance of research in a university.

Please let's have the comments posted latest Saturday 9 am.

Mamdani