African History Courses
Working their way through still influential imperial narratives, historians of Africa are unpacking the extensive and complex histories of Africa from east to west and north to south, consulting archaeologists and interpreting African and European records, African oral histories, and often looted material heritage still in European collections.
What has so far emerged is both a growing appreciation of the richness of the histories of the different parts of Africa, their peoples and societies, and the important recognition that the different parts of Africa have been and remain central to global history and particularly the histories of South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas.
In other words, there is much to explore: from advanced multi-faceted kingdoms and empires; longstanding maritime trading connections to the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean; the many forms of resistance to the European enslavement of people; colonial and imperial expansions; to the wars of independence and the legacies and memories of colonial violence.
Join us to learn about and engage with the rich histories of the different parts of Africa that interest you. We offer short and long courses, online and face-to-face.
15 courses available
African History: The Rise and Fall of Empires, c.700 to c.1700Explore 1000 years of African history, from the rise of powerful empires to the spread of new religions and Africa’s pivotal place in the global economy.
Keeley Street
Fri 2 Oct 2026Apeike UmoluFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £189.00 Concession £123.00- The Yoruba Civilisation at the British Museum
Explore the history of Yoruba civilisation, including the rise and fall of the Oyo Empire, using Yoruba material culture to understand evolutions in Yoruba life and customs. NB this is an immersive course using artefacts at the British Museum. Tutor: Apeike Umolu.
Off Site
Sat 3 Oct 2026Apeike UmoluFull fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - European empires in AfricaJoin us for an introduction to the major themes of imperial history in the past 200 years of African history, where we will contextualise many of the trends and challenges in the continent today and view Africa in a new light.
Online
Sat 17 Oct 2026Sunday Abraham OgunodeFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Pan-Africanism: The Pan-African Conferences, 1900-1945
Explore the rise of Pan-Africanism, from early international gatherings to bold visions of Black and African unity, anti-colonial struggle, and global solidarity between 1900 and 1945.
Keeley Street
Fri 23 Oct 2026Apeike UmoluFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - African Economic History: Gold, Diamonds, and Social Transformation in Southern Africa, 1900-1990
Explore how gold and diamonds fuelled industrial expansion in the 20th century, shaping labour systems and entrenching segregation and apartheid in southern Africa, while transforming African life and embedding societies in global economic networks.
Keeley Street
Fri 13 Nov 2026Apeike UmoluFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - The Boer War 1899-1902: An IntroductionDiscover the history of the Boer War 1899-1902 through gaining an understanding of how the British and Dutch came to colonise Southern Africa in the first place.
Keeley Street
Sat 21 Nov 2026T HussainFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Britain and the Benin Bronzes
How Britain looted the Benin Bronzes in 1897, what happened to them next, and how are museums responding to calls for their return.
Keeley Street
Fri 27 Nov 2026Barnaby PhillipsFull fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Africa at the Museum: The Benin Empire at the British Museum
Step into the world of the Benin Empire through the British Museum’s extraordinary artefacts, uncovering how art, power, and ritual shaped one of Africa’s greatest states and what these objects reveal about its history and legacy.
Off Site
Sat 5 Dec 2026Apeike UmoluFull fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00 - Global history late: ivory
How demand for a finite natural commodity can have devastating environmental consequences.
Keeley Street
Mon 14 Dec 2026Barnaby PhillipsFull fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £19.00 - African resistance against empire
The end of the Second World War marked a watershed in African history, catalysing resistance against colonial rule that had been in place for a century. This module examines the history of such growing anti-colonial resistance from the late 19th century onwards.
Online
Sat 9 Jan 2027Sunday Abraham OgunodeFull fee £89.00 Senior fee £71.00 Concession £58.00 - East and Central African history - a brief introduction
Want to know more about East and Central African history but not sure where to start? Join us in this course to get a footing and build knowledge and appetite for more African history!
Keeley Street
Fri 15 Jan 2027Martin JorgensenFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - The CIA in Africa: Coups, Conspiracy and Covert Action
Discover a fascinating and undercover world of the American CIA's involvement in coups and regime change in Africa on this exciting online course.
Online
Tue 19 Jan 2027Oren GruenbaumFull fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £84.00 - Asante Gold in the British Museum (with British Museum Visit)
How the British Museum acquired gold regalia from the West African kingdom of Asante in the 19th century, and the debate over whether it should now return it. Tutor: Barnaby Phillips.
Keeley Street
Fri 12 Mar 2027Barnaby PhillipsFull fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Lunchtime Lecture with Barnaby Phillips: The African Kingdom of Gold - Britain and the Asante Treasure
We examine how the British looted gold regalia from the West African kingdom of Asante in the 19th century, what happened to the regalia next, and why some western museums are giving it back. Tutor: Barnaby Phillips.
Keeley Street
Fri 23 Apr 2027Barnaby PhillipsFull fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Lunchtime Lecture with Barnaby Phillips: African Soldiers and WW2
About half a million Africans joined the British army in the 2nd World War. This lecture examines why they did so, and how their experiences changed them and their societies. Tutor: Barnaby Phillips
Keeley Street
Fri 14 May 2027Barnaby PhillipsFull fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00
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