Michael Mbabuike
Encyclopedia
Michael Chikelu Mbabuike (August 1943 – December 2006) was a Nigeria
n poet, professor, and linguist
. He held the chair of African Studies in the Humanities Department at Hostos Community College
of the City University of New York
, and was president of the Faculty Senate there.
An Igbo
, Mbabuike obtained his bachelor's degree
with honors from the University of Nigeria
, Nsukka
campus. He received his master's degree
and doctorate
in literature at the Sorbonne
, Paris
, France
. He came to the United States
in the late 1970s. In addition to being a professor he was director of the The Center for Igbo Studies at Hostos Community College. He was twice president of the New York African Studies Association (NYASA).
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n poet, professor, and linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
. He held the chair of African Studies in the Humanities Department at Hostos Community College
Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College of The City University of New York is a community college in the City University of New York system located in the South Bronx, New York City...
of the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
, and was president of the Faculty Senate there.
An Igbo
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
, Mbabuike obtained his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
with honors from the University of Nigeria
University of Nigeria
The University of Nigeria, commonly referred to as UNN, is a federal university located in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. Founded in 1955 and formally opened on 7 October 1960, the University of Nigeria has four campuses – Nsukka, Enugu and Ituku-Ozalla – located in Enugu State and one in Aba, Abia...
, Nsukka
Nsukka
Nsukka is a town and Local Government Area in South-East Nigeria in Enugu State. Other towns that share common border with Nsukka, such as Enugu Ezike, Orba and Obollo-Afor , Ede-Oballa, Uzo Uwani and Mkpologwu, now also claim the name Nsukka, hence they all collectively fall into the political...
campus. He received his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in literature at the Sorbonne
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the late 1970s. In addition to being a professor he was director of the The Center for Igbo Studies at Hostos Community College. He was twice president of the New York African Studies Association (NYASA).
Selected works
Mbabuike published several academic articles and books including:- 1988 "A survey of cultural and normative changes within the Ibo family structure in the last two decades"
- 1995 "Architecture of a National Literature in Africa: Problematics of Identity and Structure"
- 1997 Nigeria thirty years after the civil war
- 1998 Poems of Memory Trips
Further reading
- Uwazurike, P. Chudi (2007) "On Mbabuike's Nigerian American Intellectual Journeys: A Personal Tribute" Dialectical Anthropology 31: pp. 111–125
External links
- Brief biography of Michael C. Mbabuike from KWENU, accessed 30 December 2008
- Obaze, Oseloka (2007) "The sun has set at noon: An elegy for Prof. Michael Chikelu Mbabuike" KNENU, 7th January 2007, accessed 30 December 2008