The Senegalese American Studies Association (SASA) has been active for several years now and is an invaluable partner of the West African Research Center (WARC). Every year, they hold a mini-symposium on issues relating to american studies with a focus on the social sciences, and the literary field more particularly, as most of SASA members are faculty, graduate and post-graduate students in the Department of English.

The theme dealt with in the one-day symposium of this year was the presence and representation of Africa in canonical american literature.

The event was opened by the Director of the West African Research Center (WARC) and the SASA President, Professor Louis Mendy in the presence of the WARA President, Professor Wendy Wilson-Fall. The afternoon sessions were also attended by the Cultural Affairs Officer (CAO) of the US Embassy who came in the name of the US Ambassador in Senegal.

The very productive symposium was attended by 44 people. This year it was sponsored and partly funded by WARC as part of its « special projects » budget.