WWU Professor of English Christopher Wise presents at two conferences in Africa

Western Professor of English Christopher Wise recently traveled to Africa, where he presented a paper in Rabat, Morocco, and in Congo-Brazzaville regarding his research on the West African Sufi brotherhood, the Umarian Tijaniyya. In Rabat, Wise presented at the “Colloque International du Devoir de Violence aux Devoirs de la Littérature: Inauguration de la Chair des Littératures et des Arts Africains,” which was hosted by the Académie du Royuame du Maroc in Rabat on May 17. Wise’s paper, titled “Yambo Ouologuem: Le Devoir de violence, et La tiyaniyya umarienne,” focused on Yambo Ouologuem’s literary heritage as a Black African writer from Bandiagara, Mali who belonged to the Tijaniyya order, which was founded in Algeria and Morocco. Watch Wise’s talk at Rabat on YouTube here.

In Congo-Brazzaville, Wise presented at the “Renndo Cheikh Oumar Foutiyou: Conférence de Brazzavile,” hosted by L’association Renndo Cheikh Oumar Foutiyou de Brazzaville, at the Palais des Congrès de Brazzaville, Congo, on June 5. Wise's paper was titled “De Degeumbere à Alwaar : Une perspective américaine sur les enseignements d'El Hadj Oumar.” Wise’s paper surveyed his experiences researching the life of El Hadj Oumar Tall and his teachings since 1997 when he met El Hadj Sékou Tall, a descendant of El Hadj Oumar Tall, and Yambo Ouologuem. Wise also included discussions of his research in Alwaar, Senegal, the birthplace of Al Hajj Umar, where he brings 15 WWU students each year in a faculty-led Global Learning Program. Watch Wise’s talk at Brazzaville on YouTube here