International Studies
Study Abroad
African American Studies (AAS) at the University of Houston hosts an annual study abroad program to Ghana, West Africa. For University-sanctioned domestic and international travel, only travel consistent with the mission of the University will be permitted at the discretion of the applicable vice president. This is effective until further notice based on conditions both in the U.S. and abroad. Please see this link for additional information: https://www.uh.edu/covid-19/guidelines-protocols/travel-guidelines/
Students in the program take up to six credit hours of African American studies courses that include lectures at the University of Ghana at Legon, University of Cape Coast and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. This is part of our ongoing mission to embrace knowledge of African life on the continent and throughout the Diaspora.
Borrowing critical insights from scholar-activists such as Marcus Garvey and Zora N. Hurston, AAS views international travel as an imperative tool for examining the African experience from a systemic perspective. As such, student participation in the study abroad program provides a key measure of the program’s strength in introducing students to advanced research opportunities and original sources within the discipline. In addition to conducting field research and oral histories, student participants in the study abroad program receive instruction and gain awareness of the everyday concerns and political economy of ordinary Ghanaian citizens.
National Model African Union-Washington, D.C.
(Third Week in February, Annually)
Every spring the department of African American studies sends a team of University of Houston international scholars to Washington D.C. to participate in the annual Model African Union conference sponsored by Howard University. This conference hosts 30-40 different universities every year with each institution bringing anywhere from four to ten students to engage in mock sessions of the African Union. Likewise, the Model African Union conference is an excellent way for students to network with other universities, students from these universities, and gain an international experience within this increasingly interdependent world.
AAS 4440: Model African Union Seminar is open to all students with an interest in traveling to Howard University in Washington, D.C., for the Model African Union Conference. This course is designed to prepare students for participation in the spring conference. As such, it is primarily focused on the ideological development of global Pan-Africanism. If you have an interest in this program and the opportunities it provides for educational enhancement and social networking, please contact AAS Program Manager Kevin Thompson, Ph.D. at kbthompson@uh.edu.