Claude Ake Memorial Award Program
2001 – 2004
Between 2001 and 2004, the Claude Ake Memorial Awards Program recognized the work of 24 young and mid-career African scholars and activists, providing funds to award winners to carry out innovative research aimed at promoting Africa’s development. In the tradition of Nigerian political scientist and activist Claude Ake, award recipients from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe, traveled to the U.S for two-week study tours to various U.S. college campuses, attended the African Studies Association’s annual meeting to present their research, and returned to Africa to continue their research and careers.
AAI also teamed up with the Centre for Advanced Social Science (CASS) in Port Harcourt, Nigeria to co-host the Claude Ake Memorial Award Alumni Conference held in July 2005 in Port Harcourt. Attended by program alumni, regional scholars and members of the academic community, the Conference established the Association of Claude Ake Scholars (ACAS), from its attendees, that continued to work to build opportunities for networking and dissemination of research findings after the Conference.
Total number of participants: 24