Registration for the ATLAS Conference is now open! Join us for this free conference at UMD and virtually on February 27-28, 2025. Learn more and register here.

The Africa Through Language and Area Studies (ATLAS) Initiative will establish a focal point for the study of African languages, history, contemporary issues, and research at the University of Maryland with the goal of increasing the understanding of the African continent and its growing global influence. Through a website that acts as a virtual hub, ATLAS will centralize all research, scholarship, courses, events and student groups that focus on Africa with the goal of building a comprehensive information source that encompasses all UMD activities related to African studies. As part of this initiative, ATLAS will host a monthly lecture series and an annual conference on the study of Africa, bringing together interested faculty, staff and students and attracting African thought leaders and scholars to engage with the UMD community. By celebrating the diversity and contributions of Africans, African Americans and the African diaspora, ATLAS seeks to reduce disparities in representation, increase the prominence of African and African American topics of study and encourage more scholarship on Africa.