Getting the Most from Our Public Lectures

Our public lectures are immersive, dynamic conversations led either by one of our in-house academics or visiting academics from some of the leading African studies departments in the world. Participants thus have the chance to engage with African historical and intellectual narratives at the highest level.

Here are some tips to make sure you get the most from our public lectures

The early bird…

Firstly, make sure you sign up for any lecture you are interested in nice and early. As we approach the lecture date we will share with registrants interesting articles and short videos that will help to introduce you to the topics that will be covered. Once you register for a lecture you will automatically be added to our mailing list so we’ll keep you updated about future lectures. 

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• What is Pan-Africanism? A Brief Introduction
• Top Five Articles on Steve Biko and Black Consciousness
• 5 Reasons Why Africanist Scholars Should Study African Traditional Religion

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Take time out

Secondly, commit to taking time out to focus on the lecture while it is going on. In today’s fast-paced world we often multi task while watching or listening to educational or general interest content. I would recommend giving yourself the time to dedicate to the conversation, you will get a lot more out of it if you can focus and engage with the lecturer and the other participants. Even if you are watching the recording at a later date, try to carve out time specifically to watch and listen. 

Active listening

Thirdly, come prepared to take notes. Our lecturers often share information about books and articles for further study so you want to be able to note all of these down. It is also important to take notes if you are thinking of possibly later enrolling onto the Foundation Certificate in African History. All of our public lectures are fully integrated into the Certificate and the notes you take will be invaluable when you start attending tutorials and completing assignments.

Participation is key

Fourthly, during the lecture make sure you participate in the live chat. This is where attendees offer brilliant observations that often apply the ideas being discussed in the lecture to different situations around the world. AHP lectures attract participants from around the world so this is a great way to consider the global effects of the issues being discussed. You should also try to ask a question to the lecturer to flesh out a particular point you are interested in, or support another person’s question so that the lecturer can prioritise it.

Make a habit out of it

Finally, to get the most out of our public lectures, try to attend all of the lectures in a series if it is part of one or attend other lectures in the same topic area. It is important to be able to place the ideas covered in a lecture within wider frames of reference for it to be truly useful. You can achieve this by engaging in conversations that explore the same ideas from different perspectives. 

Get in touch

If you have any questions about our public lectures or our Foundation Certificate, don’t hesitate to drop us an email to info@africanhistoryproject.org or use the form below.