29Jun
Interdisciplinary Research Towards Tackling The SDGs in Africa
The Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx) and the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) are convening a meeting of Affiliates of The AAS, international research leaders, and funders at The University of Oxford. The meeting will take place at Pembroke College from the 6th to the 8th of August, 2018 and will serve as an international platform for African researchers to network, to share their ideas and successes, as well as to seek meaningful collaborations towards scaling their work and impact.The AAS Affiliates are nominated to their positions in recognition of their academic and research excellence. The AAS through its Affiliates Programme supports them to become exceptional leaders and to deploy their talents towards sustainable development in Africa.
The main goals of the meeting are to:
1. Showcase the research of the Affiliates;
2. Build collaborative and interdisciplinary networks amongst the Affiliates and with Oxford scholars for tackling sustainable development in Africa and;
3. Provide a platform for charting career development pathways through the Affiliates Programme.
The meeting shall achieve these goals through a series of keynote talks, simulation exercises, moderated panels, small groups, and informal networking opportunities. In addition, the Affiliates will work with AAS staff to develop the strategy for the Affiliates Programme over the next five years.
Daily events are open to colleagues from across the university. Please REGISTER BELOW to attend one or more of the daily events
Day One: Monday 6th August
On the first day, affiliates will get to know each other and scholars and academics at Oxford. The morning session will comprise welcome speeches, a key note address, and the first of three Turbo Talks sessions in which all Affiliates will briefly summarise their work and present their ideas on ‘the big questions for Africa’s development’.
Day Two: Tuesday 7th August
The second day will focus on the big picture of Africa’s development challenges and how these can be addressed by interdisciplinary research. The morning will involve keynote talks followed by a moderated panel and audience discussion. Morning sessions and Turbo Talks in the afternoon are open to colleagues from across the university.
Day Three: Wednesday 8th August
The last day of the gathering will focus on the pathways for career development with the aim of addressing SDGs in Africa. The day will start with the third session of Affiliates’ Turbo Talks followed by a moderated session of short talks on grant application processes, research fellowships, working outside academia, innovations, and science communication.
MEETING ORGANIZERS
AFRICA OXFORD INITIATIVE
AfOx was established in 2016 as a platform to bring together information on Oxford’s Africa related activities, to promote engagement with Africa as a strategic priority for the University as a whole and to support the development of equitable and sustainable research and academic partnerships. The strategic priorities for AfOx were developed after a consultative meeting held in October 2016 at the University of Oxford, where academic and research leaders from several African institutions engaged in an exchange of ideas with Oxford colleagues on the role of international collaborations for African academia. AfOx has established a database with around 400 Oxford academics involved in research collaborations with over 125 African institutions, spread across 36 African countries. AfOx provides a vibrant communication platform (http://www.afox.ox.ac.uk/) for researchers both at Oxford University and at partner African institutions and facilitates collaborative research by providing travel grants and Visiting Fellowships designed to enhance academic mobility and network building.
THE AFRICAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is a pan-African organization, which aims to drive sustainable development in Africa through science technology and innovation. It has a tripartite mandate of pursuing excellence by recognizing scholars and achievers; providing advisory and think tank functions for shaping the continent’s strategies and policies; and implementing key science, technology and innovation programmes. The AAS draws on its fellowship, which comprises around 400 scholars who have reached the highest level of excellence in their field, to engage with governments and policy makers on the continent. The AAS is the only continental academy in Africa, enjoying the support and recognition of NEPAD and the African Union as well as governments and major international partners. In 2015, the AAS launched the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa, a platform created in collaboration with the New Partnership for Africa’s (NEPAD) Agency. AESA is an agenda setting and funding platform to support the development of Africa’s research leadership and promote scientific excellence and innovation to overcome some of Africa’s developmental challenges.
