Dr. Salim Faraji, an associate minister at Christ Our Redeemer A.M.E. Church in Irvine, has been named curriculum developer and consulting program director for Concordia University, Irvine’s new Master of Arts in International Studies Africa Program (MAIS).
A frequent visitor to Ghana and other countries in West Africa, Faraji is uniquely qualified to excel in this position. He has written books based upon his research in Ghana and helped to spearhead a project that provided library resources to rural areas in Northern Ghana through an organization he co-founded, Building Libraries for Africa. Also, he is an associate professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Responding to the appointment, Dr. Faraji explained, “I saw this as an opportunity to spearhead a unique graduate program in international studies that combines research and theory as well as the practical application of leadership skills in the development of African nations and societies.”
He shared that Africa has been recently described as the ‘Rising Continent,’ emerging from the legacies of slavery, colonialism and post-independence challenges to a region of promise and strategic significance in the international community.
“Africa presents numerous opportunities in a plethora of disciplines, sectors and industries for scholars, researchers, policy analysts, educators, business and religious leaders to effect positive, constructive and sustainable change while also gaining in-depth knowledge and expertise in navigating the most diverse, multiethnic, multicultural and multi-religious region of the globe,” said Dr. Faraji.
Emphasizing that the program offers students a chance to launch their graduate studies in Accra, Ghana, Dr. Faraji noted, “Africa points to the future and the MAIS-Africa program provides a foundation that will allow graduates to become part of productive solutions to challenges in our culturally diverse world.”
According to Dr. Faraji, the MAIS Africa program was developed with the distinct needs of Ghana and other African nations in mind, specifically entrepreneurial leadership, global health education and international development. The program’s comprehensive coursework explores cultural, social, political and economic aspects of African nations and will be taught by Concordia faculty, adjunct professors and professors from universities in Ghana.
The MAIS Africa program is currently accepting applications for their first cohort to begin this August, the Fall 2015 semester.
For information about the MAIS Africa program, contact Dr. Salim Faraji at [email protected]
