It just so happens that Uppsala is home of the Nordic African Institute, a center of collaboration for social science researchers dealing with Africa. They have an annual conference, which I was able to attend with some professional development funds. About 300 people from 36 countries, including 17 African countries, converged in Uppsala.
In Thursday’s post, I mentioned the opening reception in their extensive library. Friday and Saturday were the sessions with keynote speakers and panels with paper presentations.
I didn’t attend the Friday morning sessions, but rather went to my Swedish class on Friday morning. This is more important for me right now. (I think it is ironic that I go to the “English Park” buildings for my course on Swedish!)Â I was able to share some of the upcoming conference sessions on analysis of social media with my Swedish class conversation partner, as I knew that this is one of her research interests.
After class, I biked two blocks over to the conference for lunch and sessions in another part of the university campus. One presentation was by a Swedish anthropologist who is studying African women’s literature. I attended session describing research on poverty and development from various African contexts including Tanzania, Rwanda, Guinea Bissau, and Botswana, among others. I learned a lot and stretched my understanding of the tension between researchers and policy makers.
In addition, I had numerous interesting conversations with researchers from all over the world. Some had no idea how to engage me in conversation after my summary description of my research (one foot in theology and one foot in social science research with the Maasai of Tanzania). I would try to make it easy on them, and I just kept asking them about their work (academics love to talk about their research, and I learn a lot). However, at the reception before dinner, there was one Danish woman who seemed eager to move to greener pastures, and she figured out how to politely excuse herself from a conversation with me and another woman from Iceland.
Later during dinner, there was the standard cordial conversations with people around me (as I kept asking others about their research). However, Hannah, from South Africa (currently doing a PhD at Oxford), asked me questions beyond the cursory introduction. Then, we continued with a rich and intriguing dialog that engaged intersections of our interests. She an exceptional conversationalist.
Soulful indigenous jazz music from South Africa entertained us after dinner.
It was a nice ambience. But the conversation with Hannah was the highlight. I realized how nice it was to operate in a world of English after all the effort in trying to manage as best I can in a Swedish world.
Saturday evening includes the packing and preparations for going by train to Gothenburg tomorrow for another conference on Monday. The “Exegetical Day” may be closer to the center of my research in biblical studies. I hope a find the Hannah equivalent there, someone to engage in rich conversation. I’ll keep you posted.
With blessings,
Beth
Life in a dynamic world! I really must try that sometime. Love the blogs, my friend.
Marvin
Leave it to the Nordi folks to engage in a continent that is in the southern hemisphere so that occasionally the conferences might get them some sun in the winter months, eh?