About ARC

The UCL Africa Research Centre is an open space that aims to promote and support the diverse and specialized scholarly work undertaken by staff and students at UCL.

The Centre aspires to contribute to advancing knowledge of the peoples, societies and cultures of Africa and the African Diaspora. It aims to be a platform for discussions of relevant issues related to the interests and wellbeing of Africans and those in the diasporic population. We recognise the deep social and intellectual inequalities that have often existed in the study of Africa in the past and that continue into the present as a legacy of colonial occupation. 

The Centre is committed to working collaboratively with African scholars and endorses the principles for collaboration set out in the African Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations. Specifically, it recognises the importance of African intellectual and institutional leadership in research collaborations, following African priorities in setting research agendas and building on existing knowledge from the continent.

The UCL Africa Research Centre (ARC) was established in 2015 as a new focus for research and engagement across the university. The ARC sits within UCL's interdisciplinary Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS), where it works with other UCL colleagues on reimagining area studies. With over 100 academics, the Centre brings together scholars from a wide range of disciplines, with particular focus on anthropology, archaeology, architecture, development planning, education, engineering, geography, global health, history, history of art, languages, literature and politics.

The Centre is a host for events, seminars, reading groups and cultural performances at UCL. For further information please contact anyone on the ARC Steering Group.