IFAS-Research - French Institute for Research in South Africa

23/06/2026

[Conference] 📣 Join the PRESPOL (Disability, employment and social policies) for its upcoming international conference “Rethinking disability: participation, equity and work”, in partnership with IFAS-Research.

📅 Monday, August 3rd
⏰ 9.00 – 18.30
📌 University of Johannesburg Library (Auckland Park Campus)
💻 In-person and online participation
🎟RSVP: https://lydssaf-2026.sciencesconf.org/registration?lang=en
🔗Details and program: https://lydssaf-2026.sciencesconf.org/?lang=en

This event aims to promote scientific and international cooperation on the participation of people with disabilities in society, with a particular focus on the dynamics observed in South Africa and France, while also opening the discussion to broader comparative perspectives. Discussions will explore processes of inclusion and exclusion in order to better understand the structural barriers to participation and identify concrete ways to strengthen social equity. The lived experiences of people with disabilities will also be highlighted through the perspectives of community organisations and local groups.

An initiative led by Daniela Ortiz Conrado (PhD student at Lise, Cnam-CNRS) and Dr Tinovimba P. Patsika (postdoctoral researcher at the University of Johannesburg) and co-funded by the PRESPOL program, the University of Johannesburg, IFAS-Research and the CNRS.

CNRS
Umifre -Unités mixtes Instituts français de recherche à l'étranger-
Conservatoire national des arts et métiers
University of Johannesburg
Lydssaf

09/06/2026

🔎🧐 Découvrez notre nouveau portrait de recherche ! | Discover our new Research Portrait! 🧐🔎

Naomi Rio est doctorante à l’Université de Hambourg, sous la direction de Kathleen Vogel de l’Université d’État de l’Arizona, et allocataire 2025 de l'IFAS-Recherche.

👉 Intitulée « “Project Coast”, le programme d’armement chimique et biologique sous l’apartheid : révision historique et implications sécuritaires de nos jours », la thèse de Naomi analyse en profondeur le “Project Coast” afin de mieux comprendre son fonctionnement et ses liens avec l’appareil de surveillance du régime de l’apartheid. Son travail vise également à éclairer les conditions de mise en place de tels programmes d’armement chimique ou biologique par un État, à la lumière du contexte géopolitique actuel.

🔗 Pour en apprendre plus sur le travail de Naomi, retrouvez son dernier article « Silent Killers, Not Signals: Why States Use Poison in Assassinations » : https://warontherocks.com/silent-killers-not-signals-why-states-use-poison-in-assassinations/

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Naomi Rio is a PhD student at the University of Hamburg, supervised by Prof. Kathleen Vogel from Arizona State University, and 2025 IFAS-Research grantee.

👉 Titled “‘Project Coast’, South Africa’s Apartheid-Era Chemical and Biological Warfare Program: a historical reassessment and contemporary security implications”, Naomi’s PhD research investigates “Project Coast” to better understand how it was operated and its links with the Apartheid regime’s surveillance system. Her work also aims to highlight the conditions under which a State establishes such chemical and biological warfare programs, in relation to the current geopolitical context.

🔗 To learn more about Naomi’s work, read her recent article “Silent Killers, Not Signals: Why States Use Poison in Assassinations” : https://warontherocks.com/silent-killers-not-signals-why-states-use-poison-in-assassinations/

Umifre -Unités mixtes Instituts français de recherche à l'étranger-
France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi
CNRS
French Institute of South Africa

26/05/2026

[Research Workshop]

📣 Join us for our upcoming workshop “Visual archives, memories and representations of South African student movements (1976/2016)”

📅 Thursday, June 4th
⏰ 9.00 for 9.30 – 16.00pm
📌 French Institute, 62 Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
🎟RSVP: https://forms.gle/g85YBsLbsppycx9YA

As 2026 marks the anniversary of two major South African student protests — the student uprisings of 1976, and the , and movements of 2015-2016 — this workshop proposes to reflect on the visual archive(s) of the protests, on its (re)constitution and on its uses across time in the re-membering and re-presenting South African student movements.
A collaboration between the Wits History Workshop and IFAS-Research.

More details on our website: https://shorturl.at/esftU

CNRS
France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi
Umifre -Unités mixtes Instituts français de recherche à l'étranger-

19/05/2026

IFAS-Research mission in Botswana: visiting Gcwihaba Caves 🦇

1️⃣ & 2️⃣ In March, the director and the project and communications officer of IFAS-Research went on a mission in Botswana to visit the archaeological fieldwork of Laurent Bruxelles (IFAS-Research, CNRS) at the Gcwihaba Caves.
This fieldwork is part of the international programme Homini’Karst, supported by IFAS-Research since its beginning, in 2021. Gathering a dozen of students and researchers in archaeology, palaeontology, geology and geography, from various institutions in France, Botswana and Southern Africa, the programme aims to identify and analyse new fossil-bearing deposits to understand human evolution.

3️⃣ After survey and excavation campaigns, the March 2026 mission was dedicated to studying the palaeo-environement, in partnership with the geologists Dr Marc Jolivet (CNRS, Géosciences Rennes), Prof. Olivier Dauteuil (University of Rennes) and the Okavango Research Institute. The latter are leading a study of the Okavango Delta palaeoenvironment to which the Gcwihaba Caves formation is connected.

4️⃣ The team collected bat guano coring in several caves of the region, including Gcwihaba Caves. For her thesis, Ms Tshwanelo Gkagosana, PhD student at the Wits - University of the Witwatersrand, will study the pollens present in each guano stratum, to reconstruct the past environment of the region.

5️⃣ Twelve students from the University of Botswana Faculty of Humanities, supervised by Dr Cynthia Mooketsi, were trained in speleology and geology and were presented the research topics of the programme’s lead scientists.

6️⃣ A documentary film crew followed the researchers during the mission. The documentary, planned to air on France 5 in 2027, will focus on the Okavango environment, including Gcwihaba Caves, and how it was formed.

18/05/2026

The inaugural launch of the EUROPE TALKS, in partnership with the EU Delegation to South Africa and IFAS, the French Institute of South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi commences with the 'Growing up Across Borders'- Youth stories from Johannesburg and Paris' exhibition.

Funded by the European Research Council and Université Paris 8, in partnership with local organisation Refugee Children’s project, the project explores themes of migration, belonging and discrimination through creative responses of young people growing up in forced migratory contexts.

📅 Date: 21st May
🕠 Time: 3 pm
📍 Venue: Dibukafe, 70 Juta Street, Braamfontein

PLEASE RSVP HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT: https://forms.gle/v6FBbPgnjCoiPXzK7

The exhibition offers an opportunity to engage directly with young voices and their creative expressions, highlighting the role of art as a tool for advocacy, resilience and dialogue around global issues of migration and identity.

15/05/2026

IFAS-Research mission in Botswana: productive meetings in Gaborone 🔬

In March, the director and the project and communications officer of IFAS-Research on a mission in Botswana met with the French Embassy in Botswana, and with Social Sciences and Humanities research centres in Gaborone. These meetings allowed us to present IFAS-Research activities within out regional mandate and to discuss future collaborations.

1️⃣ The directorial and curatorial team of the Botswana National Museum – Deputy Director Mr Kabelo Kenneth Mogami, Chief Director of the Archaeology and Monuments division, Mr Phillip Segadika, Senior Archaeologist Mr Powell Motsumi and Mrs Malebogo Letsepe – welcomed IFAS-Research along with Embassy representatives.

2️⃣ IFAS-Research met with the Ambassador of the French Embassy in Botswana , H.E. Mrs Valerie Baraban, the Deputy Head of Mission, Mrs Anouchka Crucovskoy, the Cooperation Attaché, Dr Jérôme Pennec, the Cooperation and Communications Officer, Ms Elise Durand, and the communications intern, Mona Lucas.

3️⃣ & 4️⃣ IFAS-Research and the University of Botswana Faculty of Humanities signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) in the presence of the Dean of Humanities, Prof. Thapelo Otlogetswe, the Deputy Dean of Humanities, Prof. Mompoloki Bagwasi and the Head of the Department of History, Dr. Phenyo Thebe, establishing a framework for joint research in the social sciences and humanities.

5️⃣ The San Research Centre at the University of Botswana, represented by Prof. Maitseo Bolaane, Prof. Eureka Baneka Mokibelo and Mr Leema Anthony Hiri, offered a compelling window into the Centre's activities.

6️⃣ IFAS-Research also visited the Alliance Française de Gaborone with its Director, Mrs Anne-Charlotte Monneret.

7️⃣ Finally, the visit of the University of Botswana French Department, represented by its Director, Dr Kagiso Jacob Sello, allowed for discussion on the follow-up to the work initiated in 2019 between French Anglicists (from ICT, Paris-Diderot and CREA, Paris-Nanterre) and Botswana scholars specialising in francophone studies.

14/05/2026

From May 4 to 9, as part of the Franco-Angolan project .angola , of which IFAS-Research is a partner, the National Museum of Archaeology of Benguela hosted an intensive seminar dedicated to archaeological sciences and Angolan cultural heritage, organized by ISCED-Sumbe in cooperation with the and .

Over the course of six days, 37 history students and 4 archaeology professors from the ISCEDs of Sumbe, Huíla, Huambo, and Benguela gathered alongside professionals from Angolan museums and Angolan and French researchers specializing in paleontology, African prehistory, historiography, ceramology, and paleometallurgy, creating a space for scientific, pedagogical, and human exchange between different institutions and generations.

Throughout the week, students took part in practical archaeological science workshops using the museum’s materials and collections. Participants received a nationally recognized training certificate in Angola, awarded by the Presidency of ISCED-Sumbe.
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Entre os dias 4 e 9 de maio, no ambito do projecto franco-angolano .angola , do qual o IFAS-Research é parceiro, o Museu Nacional de Arqueologia de Benguela acolheu um seminário intensivo dedicado às ciências arqueológicas e ao património cultural angolano organisado por o ISCED-Sumbe em cooperaçao com e de Paris.

Durante seis dias, 37 estudantes de hHistória e 4 professores de arqueologia dos ISCEDs do Sumbe, Huíla, Huambo e Benguela reuniram-se com profissionais de museus angolanos e investigadores angolanos e franceses especializados em paleontologia, pré-história africana, historiografia, ceramologia e paleometalurgia, criando um espaço de troca científica, pedagógica e humana entre diferentes instituições e gerações.

Ao longo da semana, os estudantes participaram em trabalhos práticos de ciências arqueológicas utilizando os materiais e as coleções do museu. Os participantes receberam um certificado de formação reconhecido a nível nacional em Angola, entregue pela Presidência do ISCED-Sumbe.

ao
gov.ao

16/04/2026

[Parution 📚📖 ]
Le numéro 2025-2026 du Cahier des UMIFRE porte sur "L'action des UMIFRE pour le patrimoine : recherche, sauvegarde, valorisation".
👉 Retrouvez la contribution de l'IFAS-Recherche sur "La Mission Préhistorique Franco-Angolaise, un exemple d’approche holistique du patrimoine archéologique", le programme de recherche dirigé par Isis Mesfin et Maria-Helena Benjamim:https://www.umifre.fr/docs/Cahier-Umifre-N12-BAT-BD-planche.pdf =22

Umifre -Unités mixtes Instituts français de recherche à l'étranger-
CNRS
Embaixada de França em Angola / Ambassade de France en Angola

📣 Publication❕

🗞️ Le 12e n° du Cahier des UMIFRE est en ligne❕

➡️ Le dossier de cette année 2025-2026 porte sur "L’action des UMIFRE pour le patrimoine : recherche, sauvegarde, valorisation". Il souhaite mettre en lumière le patrimoine, qui occupe une place croissante dans les axes de travail des centres français de recherche à l’étranger. Vous pourrez également retrouver dans le Cahier toutes les actualités des UMIFRE❕

👉 Le n° est à retrouver gratuitement en intégralité ici : https://www.umifre.fr/docs/Cahier-Umifre-N12-BAT-BD-planche.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawRLRKFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBGZ3ZIcVhrcmROUU56U2Joc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjW1qGl93goCSDD12Dx1gdQqlRfI95aXBkjJI_FkBgIM96D6TQuAXsL2gxSG_aem_OgB57GmCuStdX6WuwyjcEA

10/04/2026

[Screening] 🎥 Africa, in the Footsteps of the First Humans (Anthony Binst, 60 min)
📆Wednesday 15 April 2026
⏰5-6pm: Screening & 6-7pm: Panel discussion with archaeologist Laurent Bruxelles (IFAS-Research, CNRS)
📍The Bioscope (44 Stanley, Milpark, Johannesburg)
🔗Free event - RSVP essential: https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/special-screening-of-africa-

The Audio-Visual Department of French Institute of South Africa and IFAS-Research - French Institute for Research in South Africa are pleased to invite you to the screening of the documentary “Africa, in the Footsteps of the First Humans”, by Anthony Binst. The movie will be screened in its original version, in French, with English subtitles.
The one-hour documentary follows an archaeological and speleological investigation into early human presence in southern Africa, challenging long-standing theories of a single cradle of humankind.
A one-hour panel discussion with archaeologist Laurent Bruxelles (IFAS-Research, CNRS) will follow the screening.

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Le département Audio-Visuel du French Institute of South Africa et IFAS-Research - French Institute for Research in South Africa ont le plaisir de vous inviter à la projection du documentaire « Afrique, sur les traces des premiers hommes », d’Anthony Binst. Le film sera diffusé dans sa version originale, en français, et sous-titré en anglais.
Le documentaire d'une heure suit une enquête archéologique et spéléologique sur les traces des premiers humains en Afrique australe, à rebours de la thèse d'un unique berceau de l'humanité.
La projection sera suivie d’un échange d'une heure avec l’archéologue Laurent Bruxelles (IFAS-Recherche, CNRS).

07/04/2026

[Research portrait]

🔎 Découvrez notre nouveau portrait de recherche ! 🧐

David Witelson est postdoctorant à l'University of Oxford et associé au Rock Art Research Institute (Wits - University of the Witwatersrand ). Spécialiste de l’étude de l’art rupestre d’Afrique australe, il s’intéresse notamment aux interactions entre les communautés de chasseurs-collecteurs et les communautés fermières qui s’installent dans la région du Stormberg à partir du XVe siècle. Ses recherches portent en particulier sur la provenance des pigments utilisés dans les peintures rupestres, dont certains indices suggèrent qu’ils auraient pu circuler grâce aux réseaux commerciaux de longue distance mis en place par les communautés fermières.

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🔎 Discover our new Research Portrait! 🧐

David Witelson is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford and associate researcher at the Rock Art Research Institute (Wits - University of the Witwatersrand). As a Southern African rock art specialist, he is interested in the interactions between hunter-gatherer and farming communities that began settling in the Stromberg region from the 15th century. In particular, he investigates the provenance of pigments used in rock paintings, which some evidence suggests may have circulated through long-distance trade networks established by African farming communities.