Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP)

Refocusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Leadership Lessons from Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in the AAP Consortium
2024-10-19 11:00 - 17:00 (Africa/Johannesburg)
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Most higher education institutions now promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as core values attached to their institutional mission because doing so is crucial for ensuring a welcoming and inclusive campus environment for all students, academics, and staff. Diversity brings with it a number of educational benefits, including improved racial and cultural awareness, enhanced critical thinking, higher levels of service to community, and a more educated citizenry, to name a few. However, other components like equity and inclusion are also essential to delivering on diversity’s promise to higher education more broadly. People with different life experiences ask different questions. They enrich dialogues and may ignite contestation or disruption of the status quo, which fuels the creation of new knowledge, innovation and deeper understanding. This dialogue brings together a panel of leaders to share their perspectives in a frank discussion on how they respond to DEI at HEIs. This dialogue brings together a panel of leaders from the AAP consortium to share their perspectives in a frank discussion on how they respond to DEI at Higher Education Institutions.

Roundtable Discussion on the Politics of Sustainability
2024-10-01 12:00 - 17:00 | Hybrid
The concepts of politics and sustainability are loaded with various, and evolving meanings and interpretations in their own terms and relationally. This Roundtable aims to reflect on the concept of power and its relationship with, and manifestation in sustainability discourses and practices. To this end, the following questions are asked: What constitutes the politics of sustainability? How does the environment and society feature in that politics? How is sustainability linked to the past and futurisms? Who has the power to define socioecological futures, and with what effects? These questions are posed here as a source of reflection from different vantage points rather than a search for ‘correct answers.

Future Africa Transdisciplinary (TD) Dialogue
2024-07-11 11:00 - 12:00 | Online on Zoom
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The University of Pretoria’s Future Africa (FA) invites you to a Transdisciplinary (TD) Dialogue titled “Why Global Transdisciplinarity: What Should We Be Talking About?” with Professor Roderick Lawrence from the University of Geneva, Switzerland.
RSVP by 8 July 2024: RSVP here
The dialogue will be moderated by Professor Coleen Vogel from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa.
For more information, please contact Dr Hester du Plessis at hester.duplessis@up.ac.za

Abstract
Transdisciplinarity goes beyond the co-production of knowledge and problem-solving. It is an attitude and a way of being, thinking, and. acting in relation to others and the world. This dialogue will address fundamental concerns that need attention if transdisciplinary projects are to be upscaled for greater societal impact. Topics to be explored include: The importance of creative and critical thinking to better understand and respond to societal challenges, the added value of transdisciplinary inquiry, rethinking the purpose of science, TD achievements: Innovative beacons for change, amongst others.

Speaker

Roderick Lawrence (B. Arch (Hons), MA, D.Sc.) was nominated Professor in the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Geneva in 1999. He was promoted to Honorary Professor in October 2015. He was Visiting Professor at the Institute for Global Health at the United Nations University(UNU-IIGH) from 2014 to 2016. He was the founding Director of the Certificate for Advanced Studies in Sustainable Development at the University of Geneva from 2003 until 2016, and Director of the Global Environmental Policy Program (GEPP) from 2010 until 2016. He was a Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences Network for inter – and transdisciplinary research (2009-2020). He is the author of Creating Built Environments: Bridging Knowledge and Practice Divides (Routledge, 2021) and Editor of the Handbook of Transdisciplinarity: Global Perspectives (Edward Elgar, 2023) .

CLAB-Africa Webinar Series: Climate Impacts on Food Systems in Africa
2024-07-04 14:30 - 16:00 | Online on Zoom
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The African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (ARUA-SFS), hosted at Future Africa at the University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), proudly presents the Climate, Land, Agriculture, and Biodiversity (CLAB)-Africa Webinar Series.
Webinar 1: Climate Impacts on Food Systems in Africa
Register here: RSVP here
The CLAB-Africa project is designed to elevate Africa-specific knowledge by supporting the continent’s leading scientists to engage political leadership on varying catalytic sectors to address the continent’s wicked challenges. With a bottom-up approach, the project focuses on providing policy-ready information and proven innovations to support African decision-makers in formulating climate-change, land, agriculture, and biodiversity responses.
The webinar will:

Explore the significant relationship between climate change and food security, highlighting the current state of African agriculture and the challenges posed by changing temperatures, precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events.
Discuss the vulnerability of various regions and communities, emphasizing traditional and innovative adaptation strategies, sustainable agricultural practices, and the role of biodiversity
Present case studies of successful projects, discuss the importance of policies, governance, and stakeholder engagement, and highlight advances in agricultural research and technology, providing a comprehensive understanding of building resilient and sustainable food systems in the face of climate change.

Programme:
Welcome and Overview of the Webinar (5 Mins)
Facilitator – Ms Sithembile Mwamakamba, FANRPAN
Opening Remarks – Why CLAB-Africa? (10 Mins)
Prof Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi CLAB-Africa Co-Principal Investigator, University of Pretoria
Climate Change Impacts on Food Systems in Africa (20 Mins)
Dr Caroline Fadeke Ajilogba, CLAB-Africa Research Fellow, University of Pretoria
Remarks from the Mentor – Prof Sue Walker, Agricultural Research Council
Reflections: Challenges and Opportunities (10 Mins)
Prof Melusi Sibanda, University of Zululand
Perspectives from Practitioners and Experts (10 Mins)
Dr Gugulethu Zuma Netshiukhwi, Agricultural Research Council
Question and Answer Session (30 Mins)
Closing and Way Forward (5 Mins)
Dr Colleta Gandidzanwa, Research and Project Manager, ARUA Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (ARUA-SFS), Future Africa, University of Pretoria.
About the CLAB-Africa Project
The CLAB-Africa project is a Future Africa (University of Pretoria) initiative hosted under the ARUA-SFS, in collaboration with FANRPAN. CLAB-Africa aims to provide a platform for Africa’s scientific community to contribute to the developmental work of African governments and development institutions in the form of science-based, actionable recommendations within four identified clusters: (i) climate impact on food systems, (ii) land restoration and biodiversity, (iii) people-animal-ecosystems health and wellbeing, and (iv) land-water-energy resources use. The project is currently funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and will conclude at the end of September 2023. Earlier financial support was provided by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the French Embassy in South Africa, and the French Development Agency – Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

Africa Week 2023
2024-06-30 13:00 | Future Africa
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The University of Pretoria is proud to host the biennial Africa Week, a prestigious event that brings together African and global leaders in science. This year’s event, in partnership with the Department of Science and Innovation and the National Research Foundation, will convene the leadership of prominent African and global scientific networks and international, transdisciplinary initiatives. The theme for Africa Week 2023 is Open Africa, Open Science, which will feature topical dialogues on the importance of open science as a global public good and its relevance for the continent.
Africa Week 2023 is an opportunity to interpret openness in its broadest sense and to move conversations towards concrete actions aimed at increasing the impact and influence of African research through effective and equitable global partnerships. The event will explore ideas such as the global open science movement and its significance for science and research on the continent. The objective is to seek ways to harness the movement’s potential to create a more inclusive, collaborative and impactful research environment in Africa.
The event is structured to facilitate strategic sub-events comprising partnership meetings and workshops aimed at initiating new international programmes of transdisciplinary work. In company with Leaders of Higher Education Institutions from Africa and across the world, Africa Week 2023 will convene key stakeholders from the government, the private sector, civil society and the media. The event will provide an opportunity for participants to network, engage in thought-provoking discussions and showcase research achievements that have made an impact. Through its diverse range of participants, the event aims to promote a shared understanding of the challenges facing scientific research in Africa and the role of open science in addressing those challenges.
Africa Week 2023 is a vital platform for promoting discussions, teamwork and inclusivity in science. With its focus on open science, the event aims to create a more transparent, equitable and impactful research environment in Africa.
For more information contact: Africa Week Coordinator – Ms Juby Govender
africaweek@futureafrica.science
