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.
- Asante Gold in the British Museum (with British Museum Visit)Course start date: Fri 17 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Barnaby PhillipsHow 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.
Full 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
Course start date: Fri 24 Apr 2026Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Barnaby PhillipsWe 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.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - African Nationalism: The Rise of the African Intelligentsia, 1820-1975Course start date: Fri 8 May 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Apeike UmoluDive into the history of the emergence of modern African states through a study of the lives and works of the intellectuals who spearheaded the independence movements and the institutions which nurtured them.
Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Lunchtime Lecture with Barnaby Phillips: African Soldiers and WW2Course start date: Fri 15 May 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Barnaby PhillipsAbout 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
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - From Earth to Empire: Cocoa and Coffee in African HistoryCourse start date: Tue 16 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Apeike UmoluDive into Africa’s past through the commodities that put it at the centre of world trade: cocoa and coffee. Explore how they transformed societies, fuelled nation-building, and triggered economic and labour activism.
Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £25.00 - The Boer War 1899-1902: An Introduction Course start date: Sat 21 Nov 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: T HussainDiscover 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.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - The Yoruba Civilisation at the British Museum Course start date: Sat 4 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Apeike UmoluExplore 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.
Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
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