This event has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Event: Islam, the West and the African Diaspora

By Professor Sulayman Nyang

Date & Time : Sept 8 2009, 1-2pm

Venue: (TBC)

Islam, the West and the African Diaspora

Professor Sulayman Nyang is a naturalized citizen of the United States of America. Originally from the Republic of the Gambia in West Africa, his career as an Africanist and professor of African Studies spans more than 32 years. He joined the faculty of the African Studies Department at Howard University, shortly after graduating from the University of Virginia with the Masters of Arts in Public Administration and went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Government in 1974, while lecturing as Assistant Professor at Howard University.

Nyang has held administrative and academic positions at Howard University, and as Chairperson and Acting Director, contributed to several expert panels on African Affairs, handling a wide range of topics, including cultural, political, religious and social affairs.

Nyang’s contributions to African affairs, transcends the scope of the academic world as he has served as First Secretary and Head of Chancery of the Gambian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, and consultant to the World Bank and United Nations agencies.

He has held several positions as chairperson or member of the board of academic journals, and organizations of Islam and African affairs. He was the Lead Developer of the “African Voices Project” for the Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute, and Co-Principal Investigator of “Muslims in the American Public Square,” Project, an initiative to foster greater understanding of Islam and Muslims in the US.

Professor Nyang has published profusely on a variety of issues affecting Africans in Africa, the diaspora, and beyond. He has written or collaborated with other Africanists to write 11 books, and more than 70 articles on Islam, African political, cultural, and development affairs. He is a dedicated scholar who works tirelessly for African causes, and mentors younger scholars, through intellectual collaboration, and encouragement to foster continuity in the field. He is a panelist on the Washington Post web Forum discussing religion in the U.S. and beyond.