Bradford News, Bradford Sport, Leisure,Cars, Jobs and local information from The Telegraph & Argus

Cash award strengthens African ties

From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Thursday 19th Aug 2004.

The University of Bradford has been awarded £1.75 million to set up a new African peace and conflict studies leader.

The key position will include a wide range of projects and research within Africa, such as rehabilitation of child soldiers and dealing with the impact of landmines on communities.

The cash, provided by a private trust, will be used to create the John Ferguson Chair which will be based within the Department of Peace Studies' Africa Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies.

John Ferguson was a key figure in the department from 1973 to 1974 when he took a lead in developing the subject.

He served as the department's first external examiner and was chairman of the inquiry in the 1980s into the controversial sinking of the Argentine warship the General Belgrano by a Royal Navy submarine during the Falklands War.

He developed his love of Africa while working for many years as a professor of classics in Nigeria and worked at many universities in West Africa.

Head of peace studies, Professor Shaun Gregory, said the university was thrilled with the award which helped celebrate the relationship between Mr Ferguson and the department.

He said: "John Ferguson's links with Africa and with peace studies make it especially fitting that this Chair is established here in Bradford and that it is committed to delivering such an important range of

programmes.

"The funding will be spent where it is most needed, allowing important work to take place between the university and projects in Africa."

The cash will also pay for the appointment of a project manager and a number of research fellows to work on cutting-edge education, research and policy projects in Africa.

These include setting up peace education and conflict resolution programmes in 11 African countries, including Sudan, and gender and peace studies.

They will also be working on providing post-war reconstruction and democratic governance in post-conflict societies.

Africa centre director Dr David Francis said: "This will have a profound impact within Africa and allow us to carry out a wide range of work with real meaning and significant implications for many of the poorest and least secure people on the continent."

The position for Chair will be advertised shortly and a university spokesman said the new appointment would also be able to attract further funding for the department's work.

Archive Home