The United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) has received academic materials, including more than 10,000 textbooks valued at more than $1 Million, from outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Tiyambe Zeleza.

The gift comprises Prof Zeleza’s personal academic library featuring books, transcripts, research papers, journals and conference reports collected over the last 40 years from various continents.

Speaking at the handover event graced by Former Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga among other dignitaries, Prof Zeleza described his tenure at USIU-Africa as an unforgettable experience.

“Donating these books to USIU-Africa represents my dedication to enhancing the University’s learning and research capacities. More broadly, it reflects my lifelong passion for promoting African knowledge production and cultivating the culture of philanthropy in African universities,” said Prof. Zeleza.


Paul Tiyambe Zeleza. PHOTO/COURTESY

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He added, “I trust that the Professor Paul Zeleza collection will be well taken care of and benefit generations of faculty and students and researchers from across Africa. I have collected a valuable library that will help advance academic delivery in African, Diaspora, Development, Gender, Environmental, Cultural and Globalization studies. The library also holds books on economic history, intellectual history, creative works, and science and technology, areas I’ve immersed myself in and that the collection covers.”

Dr Mutunga lauded the outgoing VC for leaving an indelible mark on the history of the international university.

“The books donated here today are a representation of Prof. Zeleza’s lifelong passion for promoting African knowledge production and cultivating the culture of philanthropy in African universities. The pride of any university lies in its ability to engage in cutting edge research and USIU-Africa has remained committed to this cause in its years of operation. Through the donation of his personal library, Prof. Zeleza has demonstrated his dedication to the enhancement of the University’s learning and research capacities,” said Dr Mutunga.

The VC’s academic library collection includes his archives of personal papers and manuscripts of his voluminous publications showcasing an illustrious academic and administrative career.

It is set to boost the current resources at the USIU-Africa Library, which include 204,804 print books, 48,751 print periodicals, more than 100,000 online journals, more than 200,000 electronic books, 16,348 non-print media and 47 electronic databases.

A Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof Zeleza has worked at a number of universities in the Caribbean, Kenya, Canada, and the United States and has held distinguished academic appointments and administrative positions.

His scholarly work has crossed traditional boundaries, ranging from economic and intellectual history to human rights, gender studies and diaspora studies.

He has published more than 300 journal articles, book chapters, reviews, short stories and online essays and authored or edited 27 books, a number of them winning international awards.

He has also worked as a consultant with various philanthropic foundations and UN agencies.

His research project on the African academic diaspora conducted for the Carnegie Corporation of New York in 2011-12 led to the creation of the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program in 2013.