Speaker Bio:Dr. Abye Assefa is Associate Professor of Sociology at St. Lawrence University in New York. His research focuses on political economy of Africa, nomadism and pre-modern relations, and world-systems analysis. Professor Assefa was the Chair of his department between 2015 and 2016 and Director of his university’s Abroad Program in France from 2014-2017. He received his PhD in Historical Sociology at the State University of New York Binghamton.
Title:China’s Rise and the Post-Capitalist, Post-Liberal World Order
Time: Monday, 19 November 2018 / 3-5pm
Venue: Tianhe campus (Shipai), Second Social Sciences Building 610
Chair: Professor Chen Yiping, Vice Dean
The modern world-system is in terminal crisis is the premise of this lecture. In light of that, Professor Assefa asks if the capitalist world economy and the geoculture of liberalism can adapt to the future. He shares his insight as to why the capitalist world economy can no longer pursue the endless accumulation of capital – mainly that the costs of the key factors of production worldwide (labor, input, tax) are squeezing the average worldwide rate of profits.He further explains why the geoculture of liberalism can no longer maintain its hegemony – mainly social ideologies, social movements, and social sciences are demoted from universalism. In view of these, he reveals that the Belt and Road Initiative should be seen neither as a continuation of the regime of endless accumulation nor as a replication of geoculture triumvirate – social ideology, social movement, social sciences – of liberalism.
Title: The Horn of Africa: A World Historical Region
Time: Wednesday, 21 November 2018 / 3-5pm
Venue: Tianhe campus (Shipai), Second Social Sciences Building 610
Chair:Dr. Tu Huynh, Associate Professor
What is the “Horn of Africa” as a theoretical concept and empirical evidence? Professor Assefa shares some thoughts on how this often spatially delimited category is neither defined by the composition of territorial states nor the virtual global market. Instead, he offers some ideas as to why the Horn of Africa is better understood theoretically as a world historical region that is formed through long-drawn-out relational processes. He reveals that in these long processes, geographical and cultural factors had influenced the political, religious, and occupational differentiation and integration of the region. This event is also a casual gathering for professors, staff, and postgraduate students to meet and exchange ideas with Professor Assefa.
