Doyen of Sino-African Affairs in DC: Winslow Robertson’s Journey of Scholarship, Romance, and Life in China and West Africa

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Australia, Chinese Immigrants in Africa, Chinese in Africa, Ghana, Lesotho, Liberia Rubber, New York TImes, Niamey, Nigeria, Sino - Africa DC, Syracuse, The Corporate Council on Africa, The Economist, Winslow Robertson, Xu Jianxue

Podcaster, Hip-Hop Dancer, and Sino – Africanist: Winslow Robertson

I recently sat down for my first (and long overdue) leisurely chat with Winslow Robertson, an amazing guy who I have been promising to profile for some time. Winslow is based in northern Virginia and is the founding father of Sino-Africa DC (SADC), a networking group for local Sino-Africanists.  The archives of the SADC newsletter can be found here.  Winslow is also a podcaster and recently wrapped up an internship at The Corporate Council on Africa.  Over a conversation of several hours, I had the pleasure of learning about the genesis of his interest in Sino – African affairs, his thoughts on U.S. perceptions of Chinese engagement in Africa, and other more interesting tidbits, such as how he met his wife and I discovered that we share close academic and geographic ties as well as shopping habits (Jos A. Banks suits).

DC Sino-Africanists are Winning with SADC Happy Hours (and you can too tomorrow)

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DMV Africa happy hours, Penn Quarter, SADC, Sino - Africa, teaism, Winslow Robertson

I recently blogged about Winslow Robertson, an extremely exuberant addition to the DC Africa scene who is really making things happen, particularly in regards to his primary field, Sino – Africa relations.

While I hope to soon treat readers to an exclusive interview with Winslow, you can check out the network of Sino-Africanists he has convened and nurtured through very interesting newsletters, lectures, and probably other forums that I’m not aware of tomorrow evening at Teaism in Penn Quarter.  I’m not sure if alcohol will be involved given the name of the establishment.

And if you want to chat with me, I hope to be there as well.

Inaugural Sino – Africa DC Lecture: The Threads of Chinese Engagement in South Africa

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AGOA, China in Africa, Chinese during Apartheid, Chinese in South Africa, Fong Kong, Sino - Africa DC, Taiwanese in South Africa, Winslow Robertson, Yoon Jung Park

I’ll confess, I wasn’t originally too excited about a lecture on ‘The Chinese, the Taiwanese, “Fong Kong,” and Labor in South Africa’ and a harsh day at work and a rainstorm didn’t help either.  However, I’m quite glad that I attended (alas, I had to leave before Q&A) the inaugural lecture of Sino – Africa DC, which is led by the indefatigable Winslow Robertson (I was quite taken back to see him fiddling with his phone throughout the talk – I only belatedly realized that he was live tweeting the event, I’m officially passé).