The Institute's fifty-ninth Executive Council meeting took place at the African Studies Centre of the University of Bayreuth in the Federal German Republic in July 1986 following the Centre's annual symposium on the theme of ‘Identity in Africa’. Professor Jacob Ade Ajayi, myself, and Professors Mohamed Omer Beshir and John Paden gave papers at the symposium and Professor Michael Crowder delivered a special public lecture on the current crisis in African Studies (see p. 109). We are very grateful to Professor Helmut Ruppert, Director of Africanistics at Bayreuth, and to our Executive Council member, Professor Franz Rottland, and to Professor and Mrs Christopher Winter and all their colleagues for inviting us to meet at Bayreuth in this very productive fashion and in such congenial company. The meeting served to highlight the continuing international role of the Institute. Professors Martin Njeuma (Cameroon) and Toshinao Yoneyama (Japan) were attending Executive Council for the first time. The following new members were elected to Council: Professor AH Mazrui (Vice-Chairman), Professor Catherine Coquery-Vidrovitch (Consultative Director), Professor J. M. Schoffeleers, Professor Abdoulaye Bara Diop and Dr Steven Moyo. While welcoming Professor Coquery-Vidrovitch as incoming French Consultative Director, warm tribute was paid to her retiring predecessor, Professor Pierre Alexandre, who had for so many years sustained French support for the Institute. The Institute was extremely fortunate to have enjoyed the advice and guidance of a colleague of such distinction and wide-ranging expertise.