Time to Rethink Africa’s Role in International Relations

William Brown, Senior Lecturer in Government & Politics, was recently invited to give the concluding address at Beyond the Periphery, a one-day colloquium held at Sciences Po (Paris Institute of Political Studies). The event brought together scholars from Africa and Europe to explore the varied dimensions of African agency, and discussions ranged from the role of women’s organisations in campaigning against violence, to the rise of new authoritarian states and the role of pan-Africanism in regional politics.

Although for too long Africa occupied something of a peripheral role in the study of international relations – often appearing only as an example of disorder and failure – this has changed markedly in the past decade or so. Central to this has been the exploration of African agency – how and in what ways African political actors operate in the international system – and research has ranged over Africa’s role in the UN and in climate change; the formation and development of the African Union; and the ways in which African states interact with outside powers.

Innovative approaches to teaching International Relations have also shaped the new OU module, International Relations: Continuity and Change in Global Politics. An innovation that was recognised when William and his colleagues Olaf Corry and Agnes Czajka were awarded the 2016 BISA prize for Teaching Excellence in International Studies.

In addition, in a recent book chapter, William revisited the history of British policy towards Africa, showing how Britain was forced to react to the strategies of African elites and populations, even during the colonial era.

Listen to his concluding address, Studying Africa and IR: The Promise of Agency.