AfOx Insaka
The Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx) Insaka is a gathering for sharing ideas and knowledge about Africa-focused research. AfOx invites speakers from varied disciplines and academic backgrounds to present their work and ideas, followed by discussions and networking. You can watch our previous Insakas here.
AfOx is hosting an Insaka on February 7th, 2025, from 5:30-7:00 PM UK time at the Hub, Kellogg College, University of Oxford. The event will also be live-streamed on the AfOx YouTube Channel.
The Insaka will focus on Leading from the Emerging Future & Volcanoes, Human History and Geothermal Energy
We are living in times of massive disruption. No one knows exactly the extent to which life – as we know it – will be affected and reshaped. Everywhere we look, many institutions are under stress: education, healthcare, agriculture, banking and finance. Volatility, unpredictability, complexity and ambiguity are the new normal in our world today. To successfully navigate the complexities that come with increasing disruption, we need to cultivate our capacity to lead from a different place: the emerging future. Simply outperforming competition or relying on individual talent is no longer adequate. This reality calls for leaders who are committed to mobilising and nurturing collective action. Leaders who are focused on moving from ego-system to eco-system awareness and action.
The Ethiopian Rift Valley hosts many geologically-young volcanoes. Past and present volcanic activity in the rift has shaped the landscapes and geological resources of the region, and preserved records of human evolution over millions of years. Our joint presentation will give a snapshot of how we are delving into the histories of individual volcanoes, to better understand how they work; some perspectives on the explosive past of the rift valley and the story of human evolution; and an exploration of Ethiopia’s geothermal futures.
Leading from the Emerging Future
Martin Kalungu-Banda
Martin Kalungu-Banda has worked at senior levels in business, government and international development. He specialises in Leadership and Organisation Development. He currently serves as senior faculty of the Presencing Institute and a Research Fellow of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he runs an Executive Leadership Program for the Global Alliance for Banking on Values. Martin is co-founder of Ubuntu.Lab Institute, Africa’s regional school of the Presencing Institute and a Visiting Fellow of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University Said Business School.
Between March 2005 and May 2008, Martin served as Special Consultant to the President of Zambia with mandate to help re-establish the position of Chief of Staff in the Presidency. Since then, he has been playing the role of Thinking Partner to Government Ministers and Chiefs of Staff to Heads of State in a number of countries.
Martin is the author of the bestseller Leading Like Madiba: Leadership Lessons from Nelson Mandela (2006). Other books he has aurthored are: It’s How We End That Matters: Leadership Lessons from an African President (2009); and Driftology: How to Access Life’s Greatest Opportunities by flying on the wings of others (2015). His academic and professional qualifications include Organisation Development and Coaching, Public Affairs, Philosophy, Development Studies and Anthropology.
Ethiopia’s Volcanic Rift – volcanoes, human history and geothermal futures
Dr Amdemichael Zafu Tadesse
Dr Amdemichael Zafu Tadesse, Junior Research Fellow at Wolfson College, Fondation Wiener-Anspach Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Earth Sciences and Assistant Professor, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
https://www.wolfson.ox.ac.uk/person/amdemichael-zafu-tadesse/
Professor Tamsin Mather FRS, Professor of Earth Sciences
Professor Tamsin Mather FRS, Professor of Earth Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences and University College.
Professor David Pyle
Professor David Pyle, Professor of Earth Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences and St Anne’s College.