4.0

Average Course Rating

As one of five economic and regional zones in Africa, West Africa, with its estimated population of approximately 500 million inhabitants encompasses 15 countries. In the past three decades, the subregion has embraced multiple challenges and opportunities that now place it at the epicenter of various multifaceted global trends including challenges to democratization, the reemergence of military rule and autocracy, the rise in violent extremism and geopolitical rivalries among global powers such as China, Russia, continental Europe and the United States. The sub region is also experiencing significant demographic shifts with a median age of 18 and an uptick in youth engagement and advocacy with a desire to reshape leadership roles and the region’s international agency. The course will examine all of these trends in a two-part process: the first six weeks will be devoted to examining linkages to global trends such as democratization, reactions to superpower rivalries and autocracy, violent extremism, climate governance and population shifts, and regional efforts at norm setting and harmonization of governance models. The second half of the course will be devoted to comparative case studies to allow students to critically examine generally held preconceptions about the region. The comparative case studies will focus on: Nigeria and Ghana for Anglophone West Africa; Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal for Francophone West Africa; and Mali and Mauritania for Sahelien West Africa. Active and interactive class participation will be highly valued.