Sub-Saharan Africa Higher Education Questions

How have colonialism’s social, administrative, and economic policies impacted sub-Saharan Africa in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries? How have sub-Saharan Africans countered colonial legacies of exploitation and division?

Compare and contrast external powers’ historic involvement in sub-Saharan Africa with the present-day involvement of these powers in the region. To what extent do colonial patterns endure?

U.S. interest in sub-Saharan Africa has waxed and waned over time. What events or issues have led to increased U.S. interest in the region? How would you describe the results of this interest for sub-Saharan African countries? Why?

• How would you evaluate U.S. involvement in sub-Saharan Africa? To what extent has U.S. involvement benefitted countries within sub-Saharan Africa? To what extent has U.S. involvement benefitted the United States? Why?

Compare and contrast U.S., Russian, and Chinese involvement in sub-Saharan Africa today. How has each country’s approach improved life in the region? How has each country’s approach threatened peace and prosperity in the region? Which country’s approach do you believe will be most beneficial to sub-Saharan Africa in the long term, and why?

• Imagine you are the leader of a sub-Saharan African country. Which country would you most prefer as a trade partner - the U.S., Russia, or China? Why? Which of these countries would you least prefer to partner with? Why?

Using specific examples from the reading, explain the social, economic, or cultural improvement in this region that you believe to be most significant. Next, explain an ongoing challenge that you believe is most critical for the region to address.

• Select one challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa that you believe is particularly pressing. Write a policy memo to the President of the United States that explains the issue and details the extent to which the United States should respond. Be sure to support your memo with factual explanations and a detailed policy outline.

In your own words, describe the challenges that currently threaten democratic governments in sub-Saharan Africa. To what extent are these challenges shared across the region? To what extent are these challenges present on a country-by-country basis?

• Imagine you are a foreign policy advisor. Choose a country within sub-Saharan Africa and write a 1-2-page memorandum to the President of the United States on your chosen country’s political system, being sure to note areas of both confidence and concern.

The African Union is an important forum for cooperation and diplomacy; however, the organization struggles to effectively coordinate regional policy. At the same time, smaller regional groups have also struggled to encourage cooperation and ensure both peace and prosperity for member nations. What factors have prevented these groups from achieving their aims, and why? How might sub-Saharan Africa’s transnational and regional organizations surmount these challenges?

Sub-Saharan Africa has the youngest population in the world, with over 70 percent of all sub-Saharan Africans being under the age of 30. Imagine yourself as a member of this “born free” generation. What would excite you about your life in this dynamic region, and why? What challenges would you expect to face, and why?

• Why might sub-Saharan Africa’s rapidly growing population be considered both an economic opportunity and an economic challenge?
• Imagine that you are a young person in sub-Saharan Africa today. What factors might lead you to emigrate from this region? What factors might encourage you to stay? What do you think you would choose if faced with the decision to stay or go? Why?

What role does foreign investment and aid play in sub-Saharan Africa’s development? Why might foreign investment and aid be considered a problem for sub-Saharan African countries to overcome?

• Imagine you are the leader of a sub-Saharan African country. How would you work with demographic and economic trends in your region to balance external support with your country’s own internal growth?

How does sub-Saharan Africa wield influence in the world? What do politics, trends, and issues in sub-Saharan Africa reveal about the advantages and disadvantages of globalization more broadly?