African Studies at the Communist University of Eastern Toilers (1929—1938)

Abstract

The article analyses African studies at the Communist University of Eastern Toilers, one of the Schools of the Communist International. On the basis of archival material, the author describes the administrative structure of Africanist departments of the University and analyses contents of courses which were offered to African students. The article describes students’ everyday life in Moscow and the problems which they had to face, from spying and secrecy to bad food. It goes on to describe how students themselves were studied at the University, what sort of assessments they earned, and how these assessments could influence their future political lives. The author analyses in detail the activities of the African Laboratory and assesses the research by its staff.