Transition of Directorship at CAS

Today, 1 October 2020, marks a positively embraced transitional moment for CAS, when our Director of the past six years – Amanda Hammar – passes the directorship of CAS to Karen Lauterbach.  This is a rotated position, and Amanda remains as a full staff member at CAS alongside our many other colleagues, while Karen takes the helm for the coming years. Amanda and Karen have engaged closely over the past months in ensuring a smooth, constructive and warm-hearted handover.

"The past six years as Director of CAS constitute a mosaic of stimulation, learning, hard labour and delight in relation to our collective work related to research, teaching and communication within African Studies. Every day, month, year has brought with it enriching challenges and moving encounters at multiple levels: be this in relationships with colleagues at CAS and at the Faculty and wider university level, with our wonderful students, with our diversity of smart guest researchers, and with so many scholars and other partners in Africa, Europe and elsewhere. I feel simultaneously wiser and more humbled by the experience, and altogether grateful."
- Amanda Hammar

"It is a great privilege to take over the Directorship of the Centre of African Studies from Amanda Hammar. The Centre stands strong as a forum for African Studies and Africa-related research and knowledge creation at the University and in the wider region. I look very much forward to carry on the great work of my predecessors, who have all contributed to making the Centre the dynamic and open space it is today"
- Karen Lauterbach