Cowries And Rice

China's stadium diplomacy is a topic that we do not really touch on this podcast but that all changed after hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu read Mr. Hikabwa Decius Chipande's blog post "China’s Stadium Diplomacy: A Zambian Perspective" which was on Football is Coming Home. The hosts inveted Chipande on the pod to discuss his piece, and he graciously agreed. He is studying the social and cultural history of football in Zambia in the 20th century and he is a recipient of the FIFA Havelange Research Scholarship for his doctoral dissertation on the social and political history of football in Zambia, 1950-1993. What an expert!

Hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu enter the exciting filed of sociolinguistics! They ask Ms. Anthonia Akhidenor, a sociolinguist herself with interests in China and other foreign countries’ labor relations with Africa, to talk about her recent article "Code-switching in the conversations of the Chinese trading community in Africa: the case of Botswana," published last December in the journal English Today. PS Sorry for the distortion on the recording!

After last week's episode, hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu brought on another person Winslow met at the African Studies Association Annual Meeting last year: Mr. Derek Sheridan, An anthropology PhD student at Brown University, Derek is studying Chinese migration in east Africa. He is interested in broader questions of transnationalism, migration, identity, and more! He also speaks Mandarin after putting in a few years in Taiwan. Derek came on the pod to discuss anthropology, epistemology, theory, and if there is such a thing as "China-Africa Studies." Prepare for some deep thoughts!

Hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu wanted to introduce their listeners to Liu Shaonan, an African history PhD student at Michigan State University who is studying the history of Ghana's Chinese diaspora. Originally from China himself, Shaonan talks about Africa-China history, current China-Ghana relations, the importance of Twi, and more. If any of our Chinese listeners are interested in African studies, this episode is a must-listen!

Here is an outtake from Episode 18: Oil and Geopolitics - 00:11

You wanted South Sudanese voices? We have South Sudanese voi - we have A South Sudanese voice on hand to share her fascinating insights on South Sudan's peace process, China/South Sudan relations, and the future of the young country. Hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu had a live discussion with Ms. Natalina Malwal, a representative of the South Sudanese community in the U.S.

While Dr. Daniel Large gave an excellent overview of Chinese/South Sudanese history, there was not as much of a discussion on South Sudan's relations with neighboring countries (China is not a neighbor, after all). Hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu asked Ms. Lesley Anne Warner, an Africa security specialist, to talk a little more about the particulars of South Sudanese politics and how they relate to its foreign policy, to which she graciously agreed. Despite their best efforts, there were still technical difficulties in the recording, however: a slight scratching sound every time Winslow speaks. But you do not listen to this podcast for what Winslow has to say, correct?

Here are some outtakes from episode 17: Ruined Holiday - 00:11 Policy Recommendations - 01:01 When - 04:48 Close to the Bone - 07:10 Banter - 14:37

Hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu continue their discussion of China/South Sudan relations, this time examining the history between both countries. And who better to ask than Dr. Daniel Large, Assistant Professor at Central European University and the Director of the Rift Valley Institute of the Sudan Open Archive. He recently completed his PhD at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies. His thesis, "Fantastic Invasions: intervention and the politics of the international in Sudan," looks at the international community's relations with Sudan and how it reacted to Chinese engagement with the country. He has also published a number of books and articles, notably a co-edited volume with Chris Alden and Ricardo Soares de Oliveira: "China Returns to Africa: A Continent and a Rising Power Embrace, published by Hurst Publishers and Columbia University Press. He also wears extremely stylish glasses, but we fear you will not be able to see them! PS There are a few technical glitch

Hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu start off 2014 by spending a month discussing Chinese relations with South Sudan and some of the current problems facing the world's youngest country. Joining them is Thomas Wheeler, an expert on Chinese security issues in Africa, especially related to involvement in South Sudan. His articles have been published in Global Review, The Diplomat, and more. The thoroughness with which he answers Winslow's questions is worth a listen alone. Happy New Year!

In the last show, Cowries and Rice did not manage to have any African perspective on being Black in China versus being African in China. Hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu thankfully got in touch with Mr. Kumbukilani Phiri, a Zambian who speaks fluent Mandarin after studying, working, and living in China and who is currently employed at the Sunshine Kaidi New Energy Group. He generously offered his thoughts on the matter. Sadly, there were a few technical glitches so they only managed to have a WeChat conversation, which was recorded after the fact. It is still a great episode!

Hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu once again delve into discussions about race in China, and to help guide them through the discussion is Mr. Marketus Presswood, who is pursuing his PhD in Modern Chinese History and has a broad interest in the experience of African-Americans and the African Diaspora as whole in China. Back in July, he wrote a fantastic article for Tea Leaf Nation/The Atlantic called "A Minority in the Middle Kingdom: My Experience Being Black in China," which, well, talked about being black in China. He also has extensive experience in international education, including bringing African-American students to study abroad in China, where he lived for eight years. We asked him to share his thoughts on being Black in China versus being African in China. PS We actually did line up an African guest but sadly things did not work out! We are not trying to ignore African voices on the subject!

Hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu ask how Nelson Mandela's recent death is being interpreted in China. Returning to the show is Mr. Bob Wekesa, an expert on African-Chinese media relations who has written a number of articles on the subject. Wekesa is a PhD candidate at Communication University of China and research associate at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu (back from vacation) asked Vivian Lu, PhD student at Stanford University's Department of Anthropology, for her thoughts on the Sino-Africa field, whether such a field exists, the importance of fieldwork, and, most importantly, to share some wacky stories from the field.

The Cowries and Rice team of Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu were painfully aware that they were discussing the DRC while having no Congolese voices. They were put in touch with Gaius Vagheni Kowene, a Congolese freelance journalist, filmmaker, and blogger. He volunteers in media and communication department at the cultural center Yolé!Africa, in Goma, DR Congo. He is also Goma correspondent of Radio Netherlands Worldwide and works with many local and international news agencies. He shared some of his perspectives on the subject in this (very difficult to produce) podcast. PS Hongxiang Huang was the cohost and he asked some great questions but due to a glitch his contribution could not be uploaded :[

So what do Chinese people think about China-Democratic Republic of Congo relations? We are not totally sure, so host Winslow Robertson (Dr. Nkemjika Kalu made a prior commitment) asks Africa-China journalist extraordinaire Hongxiang Huang for his thoughts. Though neither Huang or Winslow are DRC experts, they do try to place Hongxiang's experiences within a DRC framework. Does it actually work? Listen and find out!

Continuing in their mad attempt to talk about one country for a whole month, hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu continue their discussion about the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this time focusing on the famous Sicomines deal between two large Chinese companies and the Congolese government. They have recruited Ms. Johanna Jansson, a PhD candidate at Roskilde University and the most knowledgable researcher about Sicomines, to talk on the show and share her considerable knowledge. Listen as she effortlessly parries Winslow's feeble attempts to get her into a debate! What a scholar! What a pro!

Join your hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu as they bite off more than they could chew and try to talk intelligently about the Democratic Republic of the Congo for an entire month, starting with discussing the idea of the Chinese as foreigner in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This big topic required two guests, and they were lucky to get them: Prof. Laura Seay, Assistant Professor of Government at Colby College and all-around DRC maven; and Jacob Kushner, who just wrote a fantastic book about recent Chinese interaction with the DRC and its peoples. PS Unsurprisingly, we were hit with some pretty big technical difficulties so we apologize in advance!

Join your hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu as they talk about how Chinese people are grappling with China's growing role in African affairs. Their guest this week is Mr. Hongxiang Huang, a freelance journalist who just started a Wits China Africa Reporting Grant and who knows a ton about Chinese public diplomacy. PS Still working on the tech issues, please bear with us!

Join your hosts Winslow Robertson and Dr. Nkemjika Kalu as they talk about what it is like being an African woman in China. Their guest this week is Ms. Marianne Daka, a Zambian business journalist who recently finished up her M.A. in Business Journalism at Tsinghua University. PS Rated PG-13 for language!