Centre of Expertise on Africa
The Centre of Expertise on Africa opened its doors in 2026 and offers a unique expertise on private law in Africa. Examining land law, property law, and business law across regional institutions, the Centre adopts a transdisciplinary approach to Africa’s sociolegal futures and to its relations to the rest of the world.
Its primary focus is to document, assess, repurpose, and propose a reading of different futures of value in Africa with regards to the reality of daily value creation. For example, its researchers document customary land law or informality as a space of legality in its own right.
The Centre also provides expert opinions for German courts on matters relating to African property and family law.
Research on Law in Africa
Research topics
The Centre conducts research on the plurality of value creation systems, ranging from securities to property rights in Africa. Its publications and collaborations aim to emphasize the importance of producing and analysing legislation that starts from African economic, cultural, and political realities, rather than (solely) Western ones. Other focal points of its work include analysis of the memories embedded in a legal system, such as traditional and state law.
The centre is open to collaboration with Africa-based and African researchers who are interested in alternative readings of law in Africa.
Research projects
