2023 Spring Symposium

Africa-China Engagement As Seen Through the Arts, Culture, and Media

Africa-China engagement is usually seen through political and economic lenses, often focusing on competition between China and Western nations and development impacts in Africa. In this half day symposium, our speakers will shift the focus to engagement through the media, arts, and culture by addressing questions of soft power and cultural engagement. Our experts include former journalists, anthropologists, and cultural historians; they will focus on Chinese propaganda posters, African music videos, Chinese media infrastructure and influence in Africa, and on-the-ground African responses to China’s media.

This symposium was co-hosted the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues and co-sponsored by the African Studies and Asian Studies programs in the Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Panel 1: Africa-China Media Engagement

Featured:
Maria Repnivoka, Georgia State University
Emeka Umejei, National Endowment for Democracy

Panel 2: “Africa in China” and “China in Africa” as Represented in Arts and Culture

Featured:
Vivian Chenxue Lu, Fordham University
Ignatius G.D. Suglo, University of Pennsylvania

Roundtable: Africa and China, Media and Cultural Influences, and Soft Power Discourses

Featured:
Vivian Chenxue Lu, Fordham University
Maria Repnivoka, Georgia State University
Ignatius G.D. Suglo, University of Pennsylvania
Emeka Umejei, National Endowment for Democracy