Carleton College in Minnesota will soon establish its own off-campus study program in the landlocked African country of Mali. In January, 19 students of French-language Professor Cherif Keita will travel to the West African country for a three-month stay.
The students will spend their initial days in the village of Nana-Kenieba, where they will receive instruction in Bamanan, as well as learn simple rules of etiquette. Then they go to the capital city of Bamako, where they will meet their host families and attend classes at the University of Mali.
All the students are proficient in French. They will be given Malian first names and adopt the clan names of their host families. This is to allow them to become full participants in Malian society, not simply observers.
The program's purpose, according to Keita, is to help the students realize their responsibility toward the African continent within the context of globalization.
All coursework will be taught in French and classes will range from studying the expression of social change through traditional and modern forms of literature, music, film and art to discussing various issues in Malian history and the process of political and economic change.
For more information, contact Keita at (507) 646-4433, or by e-mal at <ckeita@carleton.edu>.
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