Co-I, The Gambia
Hassoum Ceesay is a leading Gambian historian, biographer, culture administrator and former Vice President of the Writers Association of The Gambia. His articles and book reviews have also appeared in leading history journals such as Journal of Mande Studies, Africa: Journal of The International African Institute, SOAS Bulletin and African Economic History Journal, Tarikh, Ibadan Journal of Humanistic Studies. He has written a book on the history of Kunta Kinteh Island and the Transatlantic Slave Trade in The Gambia (2018) Fulladu Publishers.
He is currently Director General, National Centre for Arts and Culture, Banjul, The Gambia.
As administrator of cultural heritage in The Gambia, there is an urgent need to protect, interpret and exploit our rich archaeological sites for knowledge and tourism promotion. There is very little archaeological research going on here despite the vast potential in archaeological sites in The Gambia. Collaboration is therefore necessary for us in opening new vistas in archaeological development.
As well as archival research, Hassoum enjoys trekking in his spare time.