We are proud to announce the publication on our website of the full text of The Institution of Sharia in Oyo and Osun States, Nigeria, 1890–2005 by Dr Abdul-Fatah ’Kola Makinde, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, see http://www.sharia-in-africa.net/pages/publications/the-institution-of-sharia-in-oyo-and-osun-states-nigeria.php. It is the first publication of our new online-series Muslims and Islam in Africa.

A result of the research project "Sharia Debates and Their Perception by Christian and Muslims in Selected African Countries" funded by Volkswagen Foundation is the online publication series Muslims and Islam in Africa. Editors of this new series are Dr John Chesworth, country coordinator for East Africa and lecturer at the Centre for Muslim‐Christian Studies in Oxford, and Dr Franz Kogelmann, project coordinator and principal investigator of the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies at Bayreuth University (BIGSAS).

We are happy to announce the publication on our website of the full text of The Use of Scripture in Swahili Tracts by Muslims and Christians in East Africa, by Dr John Chesworth, see http://www.sharia-in-africa.net/pages/publications/the-use-of-scripture-in-swahili-tracts-by-muslims-and-christians-in-east-africa.php.

Due to administrative and bureaucratic obstacles created by the administration of the library of the University of Bayreuth it was not possible to launch the series "Muslim-Christian Relations in Africa" last week. Until a high-ranking university commission will solve this problem this series will be hosted by the private website http://www.sharia-in-africa.net/pages/publications.php. For further information please read news of March 28^th, 2009. We hope that this problem will be solved in the near future.

A result of the research project "Sharia Debates and Their Perception by Christian and Muslims in Selected African Countries" funded by Volkswagen Foundation is the online publication series Muslim-Christian Relations in Africa. Editors of this new series are Dr John Chesworth, country coordinator for East Africa and lecturer at the Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies in Oxford, and Dr Franz Kogelmann, project coordinator and principal investigator of the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies at Bayreuth University (BIGSAS).

The launching of our online publication series: Muslim-Christian Relations in Africa was announced on 19^th March. The first volume "The Use of Scripture in Swahili Tracts by Muslims and Christians in East Africa" by the co-editor of the series Dr John Chesworth was ready for publication. However, the statutes on online publishing of the University of Bayreuth – the leading German institution in African Studies – frustrated this plan at the very last minute. Until the dispute about administrative regulations is settled the online publications will be hosted by private web space.

A result of the research project "Sharia Debates and Their Perception by Christian and Muslims in Selected African Countries" funded by Volkswagen Foundation is the online publication series Muslim-Christian Relations in Africa. Editors of this new series are Dr John Chesworth, country coordinator for East Africa and lecturer at the Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies in Oxford, and Dr. Franz Kogelmann, project coordinator and principal investigator of the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies at Bayreuth University (BIGSAS).

Bayreuth University welcomes ten African students in July 2008. These African junior scholars will participate for the first time in the Summer Academy 2008 "Religion and Order in Africa".

We are happy to announce the publication on our website of the full text of Sharia Implementation in Northern Nigeria 1999-2006: A Sourcebook, compiled and edited by Philip Ostien, see http://www.sharia-in-africa.net/pages/publications/sharia-implementation-in-northern-nigeria.php.

The international and interdisciplinary Summer Academy on "Religion and Order in Africa" will be held at the University of Bayreuth for the first time in July 2008. The academy addresses questions that represent the fundamental social challenges for the future of the African continent.