West African Research Association

WARA’s mission is to foster the production and dissemination of current research on West Africa and the diaspora; to promote scholarly exchange among West African scholars and institutions and their counterparts in the US and beyond; to provide US audiences with accurate information on events and developments in West Africa; and to increase awareness of the critical place of West Africa in the global community.

WARA realizes its mission through a wide range of programming initiatives, including its research fellowships, conferences, and publications; and through the many programs headquartered at The West African Research Center, WARA’s research center in Dakar, Senegal. WARC serves as a point of contact for researchers from throughout West Africa and their colleagues from the US and elsewhere and provides scholars with a rich array of resources and supportive services including a research and film library, digitization lab, seminar rooms, computer and wireless Internet access, an on-site cafe, and a program of conferences, seminars, lectures, and other scholarly and artistic events.