CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
2nd DAAD Centers for African Excellence Alumni Conference
Accra, Ghana, 06th – 09th November 2018
Abstract submission until June 15th 2018
Sustainable Development in Africa: The Role of Science and Education
The promotion of sustainable development is the result of an unprecedented global consensus about the need to foster economic development in ways that reduce poverty and inequality, to enhance political participation and good governance, without destroying the natural environment that forms the substrate of human life, taking into account both the needs of current and future generations. The ideals encompassed in the original formulation of the concept are broadly shared in public discourse and among important political institutions, as demonstrated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Many academic institutions, as well as individual researchers, conduct research, design curricula, and train students in order to generate the required knowledge and professional expertise to transform public policies towards sustainable development. The DAAD Centers of Excellence in Sub-Saharan Africa agree on the importance of promoting sustainable development and advance sustainability through:
- Research, producing innovative knowledge, approaches, and technologies helping to attain sustainable development
- Training highly qualified professionals who can contribute to sustainable development working in multiple sectors within and outside of universities
- Engaging in outreach activities promoting the DAAD Centers’ results, products and alumni
Since the nexus between the DAAD centers and their contribution to Africa’s sustainable development has not yet been explicitly addressed, we would like to invite you to the Second DAAD African Centers of Excellence Alumni Conference, which will address the topic Sustainable Development in Africa: The Role of Science and Education.
The Conference will be held in Accra, Ghana from 06th to 9th November 2018 at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), based in the University of Ghana, Legon. The 2nd DAAD Centers for African Excellence Alumni Conference results from a collaboration between ISSER, the Ghanaian-German Center for Development Studies (GGCDS), and the ISSER/GGCDS Alumni Network (IGAN).
We are interested in the experiences and contributions that the DAAD Centers of African Excellence have made towards the promotion of sustainability through their research, but also through the expertise they bring to bear in their professional practice. We also want to discuss where the alumni see additional potential for promotion of sustainable development by the centers. Thus the contributions should address the following questions:
- How has/can your research contributed/contribute to sustainable development?
- How can/does the training received at the centers contribute to your professional practice in promoting sustainable development?
- How could the centers further enhance students’ capabilities towards the promotion of sustainable development?
- How can interdisciplinary cooperation between the African Centers of Excellence help to enhance sustainable development?
While focusing on sustainable development in general, we are interested in fostering (interdisciplinary) discussions that relate to the many facets of sustainability addressed in the various centers:
- Science, knowledge production and education
- Logistics, economic development and financial inclusion
- Natural resources governance and mineral extraction
- Governance and law
- Agriculture, rural development and rural-urban transformation
- Migration and social mobility
The conference will be organized in thematic workshops. In these workshops the core questions outlined will be addressed. The output from individual workshops and the plenary discussion will be captured and compiled in a conference report. This report will detail current successes, identify capacity needs, and potential areas of future collaboration.
In order to participate, please send an abstract (not more than 500 words) of your intended presentation and a short summary of your curriculum vitae (including, if applicable, your most relevant publications). Please also indicate in which thematic workshop you would like to present your work (e.g. Science, Knowledge production and education; logistics, economic development and financial inclusion; natural resources governance and mineral extraction, etc.). Proposals shall be sent to the email addresses igan.ghana@gmail.com and Tetteh.alumni@gmail.com with the subject “Abstract – application to the 2nd DAAD Alumni conference” until June 15th 2018. A scientific committee with members from ISSER, GGCDS and of the ISSER/GGCDS alumni network will select the participants based on the quality of their proposal, their academic and professional activities, and the thematic pertinence of their contribution. Gender balance and diversity among participants (including all DAAD centers for African Excellence) will also be considered.
For those alumni presenting their work in the conference tickets for international travel, catering and accommodation in Accra will be provided.
See the attached file for the tentative program: Alumni Conference 2018-Call for applications
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