Abstract
We seek in this article to understand the resumption of political and commercial relations between Brazil and the African continent in the twentieth century, especially in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Viewing this context, we intend to analyze the interests and goals of the successive governments, particularly of the Foreign Ministry, and how they were linked to the academic interest in Africa during this period. Likewise, we evaluate the role of African studies in Brazil’s foreign policy in Africa and the government’s contribution towards building this field of knowledge.