In 1977, a Centre of African Studies was created within the Maison Française in Nairobi by the Cultural Service and a group of scholars from the School of Higher Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS). This centre was aimed at coordinating the work of all the African study centres in France, Western and Eastern Africa.

 

In 1980, this centre became the Centre of Research, Exchange and Scholarly Documentation (CREDU). Its mission consisted in developing relations between universities in Eastern Africa and France in the field of social sciences and humanities. The creation of CREDU was followed by the launching of the French Centre for Ethiopian Studies (CFEE) in Ethiopia and the French Institute of Research in Africa, in Nigeria (IFRA-Ibadan). The branch created in Zimbabwe was closed in 1997 after the creation of the French Institute for Research in South Africa (IFAS) that greatly contributed to scientific cooperation in Southern Africa.

 

In 1992, CREDU became the French Institute for Research in Africa (IFRA Nairobi). IFRA coordinates multi-disciplinary research programmes based on specific research themes. Initially specialized in political sciences and anthropology, it opened up to other social sciences such as demography, history, geography, economics, and socio-linguistics. Over the last fifteen years, the flow of visiting French researchers, notably PhD students, has highly increased and links with local universities have been strengthened.