British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Frameworks for Africa-UK Research Collaboration in the Humanities and Social Sciences

The Nairobi Report

9.15am, 18 March 2010
British institute in Eastern Africa, Lakipia Road, Nairobi 

The Nairobi Report is the culmination of a two-year process of reflection and discussion amongst UK and African scholars across the humanities and social sciences.  It presents a series of frameworks derived from the collective ideas of some 60 scholars and research leaders, who met in Nairobi in September 2008, which aim to address the challenges facing Africa-UK research collaborations in the humanities and the social sciences, and to formulate practical solutions to these. 

The challenges are substantial and the investments which will be needed to overcome these considerable, and much will need to be tackled at higher levels.  However,  much can also be done through a renewed, frank and open partnership between African and UK researchers and institutions, and it is hoped that the Nairobi Report might help to inform this dialogue.  

The African launch of the report will take place at the British Institute in Eastern Africa, Nairobi on Thursday, 18 March. 

Programme:

8.45 - 9.15   Registration

9.15 - 9.30   'Welcome and Opening Remarks': Professor JDY Peel, FBA (Representing the British  Academy)

9.30 - 11.00 Panel: Partnership in Practice 1. Chair: Professor John Mack (President, BIEA)
                       'The UK-Africa Academic Partnership on Chronic Disease: Achievements, Challenges  
                       and Future Directions': Dr Daniel Arhinful (University of Ghana) & Dr Ama de-Graft Aikins
                       (University of Cambridge)

                       'Non-formal education and poverty reduction': Professor Julia Preece (University of
                       Glasgow) & Dr Wapula Raditloaneng (University Botswana)

11.00 - 11.30 Coffee/ tea

11.30 - 1.00 Panel: Partnership in Practice 2. Chair: Professor Justin Willis (Durham University)
                       'Facilitating inter-ethnic dialogue on heritage and peace in Kenya: One element of a UK-
                       Africa Partnership Project': Dr Munene-Karege (USIU, Nairobi) & Dr Lotte Hughes (Open
                       University)

                       'Partnerships in Academic Research: Tackling Ignorance through Fine Art- The Role of
                       Sculpture in Relation to Gender and HIV/AIDS in Uganda': Dr Lillian Nabulime           
                       (Makerere University)

                       'The ASAUK's Writer's workshops': Professor William Beinart (University of Oxford)

1.00 - 2.30 Buffet lunch

2.30 - 4.00 Panel: The dissemination challenge - information management and publication.  Chair: 
                    Professor David Anderson (Director, BIEA Nairobi)
                    'African University Libraries in Partnership to Support Academic Research Activities: The
                    Kenyan Experience' Jacinta Were (Librarian, University of Nairobi)

                    'The dissemination challenge: the Achilles heel of Scholarly Publishing in Africa' Solani
                     Ngobeni (HSRC Press, Pretoria)

                     'Building capacity for good governance: a partnership initiative' Dr Paschal Mihyo
                     (OSSREA, Addis Ababa)

                     'The state of social sciences research in sub-Sahara Africa' Professor Johann Mouton 
                     (University of Stellenbosch)

4.00 - 4.30 Coffee/ tea

4.30 - 5.30 Plenary Lecture: introduced by Professor John Mack (President, BIEA)
'The Nairobi Report' Professor Graham Furniss (Chair of the British Academy Africa Panel)

5.30 - 7.00 Reception in the gardens of the British Institute in Eastern Africa

If you are interested in attending, please contact the conference organiser