Between African Studies, African Developmental Studies and Philosophy programs, African Philosophy as well as Intercultural Philosophy from an African point of departure has a minor presence in academic programs in the Netherlands. This study group means to support and improve initiatives to develop academic research and teaching on African Intercultural Philosophy in the Netherlands.

The group focuses on the Intercultural Approach in African Philosophy, which has from the start of the academic study of African Philosophy been an important point of departure. It aims to study, discuss and bring African Philosophy further in ways that stress its meaning in and for a globalizing philosophy. Its goal is also to develop academic publications in the field, and to support the development of initiatives to promote African Philosophy in the curriculum of philosophy programs, and in social and interdisciplinary studies (Development Studies, Cultural Anthropology, African History, Languages, Cultures, Religions, etc.).

The group’s members are academics researching or teaching African Philosophy, World Philosophy, African History, or related subjects, with a focus on the above described aims. Extra-academic researchers can take part in the meetings, when their goal is to contribute to the academic study and teaching of the subject.

Topics of study of the group may include:

• Approaches to the field – discussions of the differences between comparative, deconstructive, hermeneutic and global approaches;
• How debates on ‘what is philosophy’ intersect with what has been discussed the past 70 years under the banner ‘what is African philosophy’?;
• How to draw methodological boundaries (and cross them) between African Philosophy, African Studies, Anthropology, Development Studies;
• What kind of pedagogical means are apt to introduce students to African Philosophy, to teach it as an integral element of Philosophy as such, etc.;
• Institutional opportunities to get there. What are viable ways to collaborate, exchange teachers, invite philosophers from the African continent, etc.

Recently we received the sad news of the passing of Professor Philippe van Haute. He will be missed by many who met him or worked with him on one of his many projects in and outside academia. Next to his work as a psychoanalyst, as professor of philosophy at Radboud University Nijmegen he worked with and passionately supported many scholars from the African continent. The exchange program with the Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar in Senegal, which he realised successfully was an excellent example of intercontinental academic collaboration. Professor van Haute was also one of the first to support the founding and building of a new research network in African Intercultural Philosophy. His passing on is a great loss for this vibrant research group. We will remember Philippe as an excellent scholar in true dialogue with many African philosophers, and hope to continue our network in his friendly and open-minded spirit.