The World History Center has launched a project of developing curriculum on Africa in world history, and expects to collaborate with major institutions in African studies to develop new curricular materials. Africa is often underemphasized in textbooks and courses on world history, yet existing resources and recent research provide a basis for preparing teaching materials that will the significance of Africa in several dimensions of world history. Themes of the proposed teaching materials include the following:

• Early human development in Africa
• Rise of agriculture, pastoralism, and metallurgy in Africa
• Ancient states: their government, culture, and commerce
• Religion: Local religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in early and recent times
• Interactions among African regions in culture and trade
• Slave trade, slavery, and creation of the African Diaspora
• Africa in the world economy
• Imperial conquest and the impact of colonial rule
• Cultural and political renewal in the twentieth century