The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah
The Africa Institute, part of Global Studies University in Sharjah, is a government-backed academic research institution focused on African and African diaspora studies, offering fully funded Ph.D. and MA programs, African language certificates, fellowships, and a scholarly publication program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah does
The Africa Institute is an academic research institution founded in June 2018 by decree of the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, and focused on the interdisciplinary study of Africa and its global diaspora. In September 2023, the institute was integrated into Global Studies University (GSU), established by Emiri Decree, giving it degree-awarding authority accredited by the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR). Its core academic offerings are a Ph.D. in Global Studies and an MA in Global African Studies, both fully funded, together with a Community Language Program delivering certificates in Arabic, Amharic, Hausa, and Kiswahili.
The institute operates from the Khalid Bin Mohammed School in Al Manakh, Sharjah, in a campus designed by the Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye, and runs postdoctoral and senior fellowships, visiting scholar programs, scholarly conferences, exhibitions, and a publication program that includes the peer-reviewed MONSOON journal, conference proceedings, the Africa Institute Publications series, and co-publications with Duke University Press, Skira, and Routledge. Faculty include leading African scholars recognized by The Africa Report as '10 African Scholars to Watch' in 2024, 2025, and 2026, an American Academy of Arts and Sciences member, ISA Global Africa Section leadership, and a member of the Papal Commission on Debt and Development in the Global South.
The institute is a government-backed nonprofit with no disclosed revenue or external funding rounds. Operating income is generated from government support, multi-foundation grants (Open Society Foundations, Carnegie, Gates, Bloomberg Philanthropies), nominal tuition for language courses (e.g., AED 1,440 per 36-hour semester), fellowship stipends, and publication sales through its in-house Meroë bookshop and academic distributors. Its primary customer segments are graduate students and researchers, language learners, and the global scholarly community, with a stated mission of producing African-centered scholarship, training the next generation of African scholars, and convening cultural exchange between Africa and the Arab world.
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah
- Legal name
- The Africa Institute
- Website
- https://theafricainstitute.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Africa Institute, part of Global Studies University in Sharjah, is a government-backed academic research institution focused on African and African diaspora studies, offering fully funded Ph.D. and MA programs, African language certificates, fellowships, and a scholarly publication program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International & Global Research Universities (Multi-Campus/International Footprint) (EDAHABAI)
Keywords
Where The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sharjah
- HQ country
- United Arab Emirates
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Tuition and Academic Fees: Revenue generated from graduate tuition fees for Master's and Ph.D. programs, language certification courses, and continuing education offerings. The institution offers fully funded PhD positions and various fellowship programs.
- Grants and Funding: Research grants and institutional funding from foundations including the Open Society Foundations, Carnegie Foundation, Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and other international donors supporting the Institute's academic programs and research activities.
- Publications and Book Sales: Revenue from publications including journals (MONSOON), conference proceedings, co-publications with publishers like Skira and Duke University Press, and sales through Meroë bookshop.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Hausa Language Course - 36 hours per semester |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University is an academic research institution that delivers graduate-level degree programs (Ph.D. in Global Studies and MA in Global African Studies), community language certification courses in African languages (Hausa, Kiswahili, Arabic, Amharic), postdoctoral and visiting fellowships, and scholarly publications including the MONSOON journal, conference proceedings, and co-publications with SKIRA and Duke University Press. The Institute operates from a purpose-built Sharjah campus and serves graduate students, language learners, and visiting scholars worldwide.
Product overview
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University is an academic research institution offering a comprehensive suite of educational programs and scholarly resources focused on African and African diaspora studies. The core academic offerings include a Ph.D. in Global Studies and MA in Global African Studies (fully funded doctoral and Master's degree programs), complemented by the Community Language Program providing certificates in African languages (Hausa, Kiswahili, Arabic, Amharic) with multiple proficiency levels. The Institute publishes scholarly works including the MONSOON journal, conference proceedings, and co-publications with SKIRA and Duke University Press. Research programs include postdoctoral fellowships and specialized fellowships in restitution and reparation studies. Library services are provided through Global Studies University Library with access to databases and research support tools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ph.D. in Global Studies A fully funded doctoral program in Global Studies training the next generation of critical thinkers in African and African diaspora studies, humanities, and social sciences. Open to prospective doctoral candidates globally.
- MA in Global African Studies
Quantifiable outcome
- Faculty members appointed to international bodies including Papal Commission, ISA Global Africa Section leadership
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- IDEAS-Africa Network (IDAN)corePartnership with IDEAS (International Development Economics Associates) for conferences on African debt crisis and sovereign debt sustainability. Organizes joint conferences with economists including Jeffrey Sachs, Jayati Ghosh, and Ndongo Samba Sylla.
- Australian National University (ANU) Centre for Arab and Islamic StudiesmajorAcademic collaboration with ANU's Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (CAIS). Includes visiting fellow programs and book launch events.
- University of SharjahcoreMoU signed between University of Sharjah and Global Studies University for academic collaboration and institutional effectiveness programs.
- ICOM UAEcorePartnership with International Council of Museums (ICOM) UAE Chapter. Ph.D. student Alya Rashid Burhaima serves on ICOM UAE Executive Board.
- Sharjah Museums AuthoritycoreCollaboration with Sharjah Museums Authority for museum practice education and cultural heritage programming. Student museum visits and professional exchanges.
- SkiramajorCo-publishing partnership with Skira for art and cultural publications related to African studies.
- Duke University PressmajorCo-publishing partnership with Duke University Press for African studies scholarship and academic publications.
- International Studies Association (ISA)coreFaculty member Zaynab El Bernoussi nominated to ISA Global Africa Section leadership as Member-at-Large for North Africa 2026-2027.
- Economists for Future (E4F)coreProfessor Grieve Chelwa appointed to E4F Advisory Board. E4F is a global network of economists working on just transition economics.
- Club MadridmajorCoalition of global leaders including Chelwa joining 65 leaders urging New York to pass Sovereign Debt Stability Act.
- Pontifical Academy of Social SciencesmajorProfessor Grieve Chelwa serves on Papal Commission on the Debt and Development Crisis in the Global South.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights15 records
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- African Leadership University: A pan-African network of private universities (ALU Mauritius, ALU Rwanda) offering interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programs with a focus on African leadership and problem-solving, comparable as a private, mission-driven higher-education model focused on the African continent.
- Ashesi University: A private, nonprofit liberal-arts university in Ghana known for rigorous African-focused curriculum, ethics-driven scholarship, and a mission to educate ethical African leaders — comparable as a private African-focused higher-education institution with a similar reputational trajectory.
Direct peers
- American University of Sharjah: A premier private research university in Sharjah also founded under the patronage of the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi. AUS provides a direct institutional benchmark for governance, accreditation, and operational scale of a UAE-based private research university backed by the same royal patron.
- American University in Cairo: One of the region's leading private, English-language research universities offering graduate programs in humanities, social sciences, and area studies — comparable as an established private research university serving a similar international and Arabic-context student body.
- SOAS University of London: SOAS is the world's leading higher-education institution dedicated to the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, offering degree programs in African studies, language instruction, and regional scholarship — the closest direct comparable to The Africa Institute's mission.
Broad incumbents
- University of Cape Town (Centre for African Studies): Africa's leading research university hosts a dedicated Centre for African Studies offering postgraduate programs and producing landmark scholarship on the continent, comparable as an established African studies research and teaching hub.
- Northwestern University (Program of African Studies): A leading U.S. interdisciplinary African studies program offering graduate training, fellowships, and publications on Africa, comparable to The Africa Institute as a research-intensive African studies graduate-training and scholarly-publishing institution.
- Columbia University (Institute of African Studies): Columbia hosts a major Institute of African Studies where Africa Institute faculty (e.g., Mamadou Diouf) previously served; it represents the gold standard U.S. peer for African studies research, training, and global academic networks.
Others
- CODESRIA (Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa): The pan-African social science research council based in Dakar, Senegal, is a longstanding partner of The Africa Institute and represents a comparable continental research and scholarly-publishing ecosystem targeting African and diaspora scholarship.
Regional players
- Al Akhawayn University: A private, independent, Moroccan-American liberal-arts university in Ifrane, Morocco, offering English-language degree programs — comparable as a private, government-enabled research university operating in the MENA region with a similar international and intercultural academic positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah social profiles
Digital presenceThe Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah
What does The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah do?
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University is an academic research institution that delivers graduate-level degree programs (Ph.D. in Global Studies and MA in Global African Studies), community language certification courses in African languages (Hausa, Kiswahili, Arabic, Amharic), postdoctoral and visiting fellowships, and scholarly publications including the MONSOON journal, conference proceedings, and co-publications with SKIRA and Duke University Press. The Institute operates from a purpose-built Sharjah campus and serves graduate students, language learners, and visiting scholars worldwide.
Is The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah a public or private company?
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah founded?
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah was founded in 2018.
Where is The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah based?
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah is headquartered in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East region.
How does The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Academic Fees are the primary driver. The others are grants and Funding and publications and Book Sales.
Who are The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are African Leadership University and Ashesi University. Direct peers are American University of Sharjah, American University in Cairo and SOAS University of London. Broad incumbents are University of Cape Town (Centre for African Studies), Northwestern University (Program of African Studies) and Columbia University (Institute of African Studies). CODESRIA (Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa) is listed as an others. Al Akhawayn University is listed as a regional player.
Does The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah.
What industry is The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah in?
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHABAI, International & Global Research Universities (Multi-Campus/International Footprint). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.