In 1962, shortly after independence, the Government of Mali established the Institute of ‘Human Sciences’, thereby replacing the former Institutfrançais d'Afrique noire in Soudan, known as ‘ Centre IFAN’ pour le Soudan . The National Archives, the National Library, and the National Museum, with collections inherited from I.F.A.N. , were reorganised, and at the same time three research Divisions were created: for History and Civilisation, Linguistics and Literature, and Socio-Economics.