The Association of Commonwealth Universities participates prominently at COVIDSET 2019 in Zimbabwe

by Prof. Dr Johnny Ogunji
Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

The African Network of Scientific and Technological Institutions (ANSTI), established a biannual conference of Vice-Chancellors, Deans of Science, Engineering and Technology (COVIDSET) as a forum for university leaders responsible for science and engineering education to meet and dialogue on strategic issues in science and engineering education.¹ COVIDSET is a forum both for the exchange of ideas and experiences as well as for the sensitization of university leaders on trends in science and engineering education in the region and globally. 

The conference provides a platform for university leaders, policymakers, development partners, international scientific and engineering networks and the private sector to exchange ideas, examine challenges and opportunities, explore solutions and forge ahead to ensure the relevance of these fields in our new and changing world”.² Organisations and agencies involved in Higher Education and the promotion of Science and Technology in Africa are also invited to participate in the conference.

The first edition, COVIDSET 2005, was held in Accra, Ghana, from 15-17 November 2005. The 7th African Regional Conference of Vice Chancellors and Deans of Science, Education, Engineering and Technology (COVIDSET) was just hosted by Bindura University of Science Education Zimbabwe in collaboration with UNESCO and ANSTI from the 20 to 21 November 2019. The theme of the conference was “Promoting Innovation and the Industrialisation of Africa through Quality STEM education”. It took place at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Interestingly, the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) participated prominently at the conference. Johnny Ogunji, Ben Prasadam-Halls and Verity Buckley contributed a paper titled “Strengthening Research in Africa and Improving the Competences of African Researchers: Lessons from Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa”. The paper was put together to address Objective 2 of the conference: “Strengthening/Enhancing capacity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education to achieve the New Development agendas (African Union Agenda 2063, STISA 2024); (Linkages and Partnership, Research funding, relevant programmes, Human Capital development, Value addition)”.

The African Union (AU) Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024) places science, technology and innovation at the epicentre of Africa’s socio-economic development and growth. The STISA-2024 is the first of the ten-year incremental phasing strategies to respond to the demand for science, technology and innovation to impact across critical sectors such as agriculture, energy, environment, health, infrastructure development, mining, security and water among others. The strategy is firmly anchored on six distinct priority areas that contribute to the achievement of the AU Vision. These priority areas are: Eradication of Hunger and Achieving Food Security; Prevention and Control of Diseases; Communication (Physical and Intellectual Mobility); Protection of our Space; Live Together- Build the Society; and Wealth Creation. 

Participants to the 7th African Regional Conference of Vice Chancellors and Deans of Science, Education, Engineering and Technology (COVIDSET) in Zimbabwe

While reading the paper, Johnny Ogunji presented the outcome of several projects of ACU, targeted at strengthening research in Africa and improving the competences of African Researchers. Some of these include: The Nairobi process, the Structured Training for African Researchers (STARS) project and the Climate Impacts Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement in Sub-Saharan Africa programme (CIRCLE). He pointed out that ACU through CIRCLE worked with participating institutions to develop better professional development systems for early career research staff via the CIRCLE Institutional Strengthening Programme (ISP). To make the engagement of researchers more effective, the CIRCLE lens was applied to the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) to guide the wider programme.

Prof. Dr Johnny Ogunji presenting the ACU paper

The Vitae RDF is an internationally recognized framework for the development of researchers’ competencies, encompassing the diversity of skills required to create excellent research with impact. In order to share learning from CIRCLE, a series of Six ISP Good Practice Guides outlining how to design, deliver and monitor an ISP at any institution were produced. On the other hand, while prosecuting STARS, ACU developed a robust, high quality series of nine online modules to universities across the developing world. The courses covered topics such as identifying your research niche, finding funding, managing research projects, time management, building effective collaborations and partnerships, communicating findings to non-academic audiences, academic ethics and research supervision. This will help to bolster the next generation of academic staff in Africa and strengthen the long-term vitality of their research and teaching.

In addition to the paper presentation Johnny Ogunji took part in a panel discussion of the Conference theme. During these presentations he emphasised the importance of Universities and researchers in Africa to key into and make use of the RDF as a very important instrument that will improve technical and professional competencies of researchers. He also stressed that institutions should adopt the Institutional Strengthening Program (ISP) of ACU to make real progress and enhance science, technology and innovation to bring about Africa’s socio-economic development and growth. He invited any University that needs help from ACU to indicate interest since ACU is willing to give assistance.

Prof. Dr Johnny Ogunji participating in the panel discussion at the conference

The Organizers were very excited by the participation of ACU in the Conference. During the vote of thanks, the organizers thanked the ACU alongside other companies and institutions for supporting the Conference. Prof. Dr Johnny Ogunji at the end of the conference was granted an interview with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Coorpration where he further advanced the course of ACU.

It was a good thing that ACU participated at the Conference. Many attending Universities have indicated interest to become members of ACU in due course. ACU is appreciated for sponsoring Johnny Ogunji to the Conference.

________________________________________________________________

¹https://www.ansti.org/index.php/covidset-reports

²https://www.scidev.net/global/education/feature/building-a-brighter-future-for-african-researchers.html

Researcher Open Day/Agriculture Stakeholders Forum/Exhibition of Agricultural Technologies, 29th March 2018, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria

by Professor Philippa C. Ojimelukwe, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria

CIRCLE ISP Coordinator

The Michael Okpara University of Agriculture and the CIRCLE Implementation Fund co-funded the university to carry out three activities as part of their institutional strengthening programme. These activities have conducted training in research ethics, scientific writing and communication skills, and provided a forum for researcher-stakeholder collaboration. Here, Professor Philippa C. Ojimelukwe shares with us her thoughts on the Researcher Open Day held in March 2018 which strengthened communication between researchers and research stakeholders. 

Have you ever wondered why so much research work is carried out in universities and other tertiary institutions? Research projects are undertaken by undergraduate students, postgraduate students and the researchers/lecturers themselves. Imagine the number of research projects found in the libraries of universities and other higher institutions - a lot of information “sitting comfortably” on the shelves. Journal articles, conference proceedings and books are written in highly technical language which although they are very important to the academic community, means very little to the general populace. 

In many higher institutions found in developing countries, there is no relationship between the institution, the public, and the private sector; while information and innovations required to move society forwards sits on the shelves, communities and private sector grope in darkness for the same information; the missing link is a communication gap between the researchers and end users of research. The CIRCLE Institutional Strengthening Programme (ISP) drew our attention to this essential component of relating with the public by extending research results to end users in a practical manner. We realized that the research cycle is incomplete unless research results and innovations are extended to end users. The beauty of research is better appreciated when the products of research are used to solve societal problems and end users are benefitting from research endeavours. Much of our research information never gets to the end user. Innovation and development should be guided by the outcomes of research in order to achieve sustainability.

Through generous support from the CIRCLE Implementation Fund and the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike organized a researcher Open Day Forum on the 29th of March, 2018. The major objectives of the workshop were:

• To create an enabling environment for interaction between stakeholders in agriculture, the private sector and the MOUAU research team.
• To acquaint farmers and other stakeholders with relevant improved agricultural technologies available in the university. 
• To develop participatory strategies and intervention measures that will enhance the capability of farmers for improved agricultural production and income generation. 

Researchers were invited to discuss their research activities with potential end users and show case products of their research. Products of agricultural research were exhibited. Farmers also came with their own products for exhibition.

  

The turnout for this event was impressive. People from all walks of life were there for the Open Day Forum. Traditional rulers, farmers, civil servants, private enterprises and entrepreneurs were amply represented. After the opening ceremonies, there was a very interesting interactive session between research end users and the researchers themselves. Leading researchers in the university had a lot of questions to answer; a lot of clarifications to make and a lot of lessons to learn from the general public. The exhibition proper took place after the discussion session. Colleges and units in the university showcased the products of their research activities and interacted freely with the public. The keynote address was delivered by retired Professor C.C. Chinaka. At the end of the forum, non-university stakeholders received a “certificate of participation”.

It was an opportunity for researchers to prove their worth. It also sensitized researchers about the expectations of the society from them. It offered an opportunity for researchers to re-orient their research endeavours to tangible societal problems based on felt needs. On the part of stakeholders and research product end users, many of them were amazed at the technologies, products and innovations that were available at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria. Many stakeholders from the public sector admitted that their perception of universities had never gone beyond an institution where you can send your ward to obtain a degree and qualify for “a white collar job”. Many of the stakeholders indicated willingness to collaborate with the university on different areas of research based on interest. Collaborations and linkages were established. It was clear that a symbiotic relationship between researchers in the university and the public was needed to drive sustainable development. The need for a structural platform for University-private sector mutual interaction has been established by this workshop and cannot be over-emphasized.

For more inquiries please contact:

Prof. P.C. Ojimelukwe (CIRCLE ISP Coordinator) ojimelukwe.philippa@mouau.edu.ng

CIRCLE programme granted one-year extension

The ACU's work supporting early career researchers specialising in climate change in sub-Saharan Africa has been boosted, with a one-year extension for the CIRCLE – or Climate Impacts Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement – programme. This funding will enhance professional development support for emerging researchers in universities across Africa.

Success to date

Since 2014 the ACU and African Academy of Sciences (AAS) have been working in partnership to develop the skills of early career African researchers, increase their research output and boost the impact of their research within their communities and beyond.

To date, 97 early career researchers from 10 countries across sub-Saharan Africa have benefited from supervised research fellowships to study the impacts of climate change. These Fellows carried out crucial multi-disciplinary research on strategic approaches to coping with the effects of climate change in fields such as water, energy, agriculture, political economy and health and livelihoods.

Beyond support for individuals, the institutional strengthening programme (ISP) element of the CIRCLE programme has successfully supported participating universities to develop a coordinated and strategic approach to supporting their early career researchers. Through the ISP, successful universities were awarded funding to run strategic events and training programmes, focusing on embedding good practice in their institutions.

More information

An independent review of CIRCLE (undertaken in 2017) praised the programme, but noted that more time and extra funding would enable the ISP to become embedded within participating institutions, allowing CIRCLE to demonstrate measurable and sustainable change.

Over the next 12 months, the CIRCLE programme will focus on building upon the successes to date within the institutional strengthening programme (ISP) and implementing a comprehensive monitoring framework to measure the impact of related activities within each institution. This will in turn support all our returning CIRCLE Visiting Fellows (CVFs), as well as their peers, by ensuring that their institutions offer an increasingly supportive environment in which to build successful and high-impact research careers.

Visit www.acu.ac.uk/CIRCLE for further information about the programme.

Please contact verity.buckley@acu.ac.uk for further information on the programme extension. For any further queries, please contact press@acu.ac.uk 

This post was originally published on the ACU website. Click here to view the original article.

CIRCLE at the ACU Developing the Next Generation of Researchers workshop

By Verity Buckley - CIRCLE Programme Officer

In July 2017, I attended the ACUs Developing the Next Generation of Researchers workshop. Hosted by the University of Lagos, the workshop explored innovative approaches to academic mentoring and career development for emerging researchers. I was not only looking forward to the content of the event, but also the opportunity to meet with some of the CIRCLE Visiting Fellows (CVFs) who were helping to facilitate the programme. Eight CVFs were scheduled to deliver sessions on areas such as mentoring, research cooperation, professional development and the role of the researcher in a global research environment. The CVFs were well suited to deliver these sessions, having made substantial achievements and progress in their careers since completing their CIRCLE fellowship, despite facing a number of challenges.

The CIRCLE Fellows and NextGen Organising Committee

Researchers face a range of obstacles throughout their careers, particularly during the early stages. The importance of immediately taking responsibility for one’s own development was highlighted throughout the workshop – solely relying on an institution to provide opportunities can be risky and participants were encouraged to look for other ways of building their experience. Their contribution to the wider “research effort” was discussed, as well as the importance of considering the impact that research can have on local and global issues. It was stressed that researchers must view themselves as part of a wider international research movement.

The establishment of a Professional Development Plan (PDP) can be a critical step in continuous professional development. Commitment to an action plan helps the researcher to progress, and the creation of milestones and goals can help them to keep track of their progress. As well as advice on attitudes and personal development, the use of constructive tools and approaches to the PDP were explored, including the importance of writing SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound) objectives and finding ways of providing evidence to demonstrate progress.

Prof. Ogundipe, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics & Research) addressing participants

Many academics ultimately strive to become effective researchers and global leaders in their field. During the workshop, participants proposed and discussed various tactics that would help the researcher towards professional leadership. These included research uptake, mobile research and utilisation of technology and communication for networking and dissemination, as well as the importance of learning from role models within the workplace and wider academic fields. Role models can come in many forms, but within the academic research environment these are most likely to appear in the form of mentors. Researchers may find that they take on the role as mentor, as well as mentee. During the workshop, the CVFs offered personal anecdotes on their experiences as mentors, as well as professional tips and advice. Utilising the experiences of mentors could be critical in planning career development within an institution. Senior members of staff and personal managers could potentially give advice and support to their mentees, providing important guidance in seeking promotion or research opportunities.

CIRCLE Fellow Catherine Nnamani delivers a session

Nevertheless, finding time for development opportunities amidst a heavy workload within a research department can be difficult, especially for those who take on more administrative and teaching responsibilities at growing or overstretched institutions. The CVFs had ample experience as both mentees and mentors, and facilitated excellent discussions. The various debates that arose during the workshops were very thought provoking, but specific issues were highlighted as being particularly acute in Nigeria such as the lack of international networks and opportunities for collaboration and the growth of younger institutions struggling to build the capacity of their overstretched members of staff. Each participant had their own unique experience to contribute, and their innovative ways of overcoming their obstacles were inspirational for all that attended.

After an intensive 3 days, the workshop drew to a close. Not only had the participants developed tools to further establish their academic careers, but they had managed to create networks and potential routes through to future collaboration. As the participants filed out of the lecture hall, the atmosphere was bubbling over with anticipation (and not only due to the tea and biscuits that were waiting outside).

It was a pleasure to attend the workshop, and a wonderful opportunity to meet the CVFs and workshop participants. Make sure you keep an eye on the blog as we will be featuring CVFs profiles in the following posts.

Supporting the research leaders of the future at the ACU Conference of University Leaders, 2016

In partnership with Vice-Chancellors' Ghana, The ACU Conference of University Leaders 2016 was hosted by the ACU in July this year. The main focus of the event was to bring together senior university staff to ‘debate key issues in higher education and explore shared solutions with a diverse range of international colleagues’. While the majority of attendees at the event were therefore high ranking university officials, one of the key themes under debate was how the next generation of university leaders could best be supported. I was privileged to attend the event and to jointly present, together with Professor Graham Furniss, the recently published ACU-British Academy report, ‘The next generation: ideas and experience in African researcher support’. We shared the panel with two early career researchers - Herine Otieno-Menya and Dr Olawale Olayide - also presenting their ideas and experience on support for early career researchers. Andrea Johnson from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, USA, provided the response to our presentations.

It was interesting to consider different forms of support for early career researchers and how this could be maximised to be most effective. There was also useful feedback from Ms Johnson on The Next Generation report, some of which we have already been considering for further development of the research and some of which could also be useful cross-cutting themes for much work with universities. For example, thinking of universities as systems (systems thinking is a topic currently – and rightly –hugely popular in the international development sector at the moment) and how support for early career researchers sits in that system. A topic touched upon in the report was whether it is more effective to approach change within this system from the faculty level, then involve institutional leadership, or vice versa. Perhaps this is best determined based on the type of institution, its culture and the particular entry point for the programme of support.

Again, reflecting the need to understand institutional context, the varying needs and objectives of researchers in different disciplines was highlighted (for example, in some disciplines the quantity of publications may be more important, for some it may be the use of cutting edge technology and in others ensuring the impact of research on policy may be more important). There were further questions around where support should be directed (also a topic we touched upon in researching the report). Should we be targeting just the most promising research or raising standards more broadly? What about teacher training as opposed to researcher training? The report made reference to the use of online learning, but perhaps there is the potential to also consider other modes of learning, such as split-site PhDs or PhDs by distance. Many of these points relate back to a key concept emphasised in the report: it is vital that early career researcher support is shaped by, and embedded in, the priorities of the academics (junior and senior), faculties and broader institutional and societal objectives. However, higher education institutes are, indeed, complex systems with complex needs so to do this effectively will need careful consideration and reflection.

Tawakalitu Bola Onifade, Caroline Moss, Victoria Tanimonure, Eunice Thomas and other delegates

In addition to sharing the panel with Dr Olayide, I was also very pleased to catch up with a number of early career researchers from the CIRCLE programme. Funding was very gratefully received from the National Research Foundation, South Africa, for several CIRCLE fellows to attend the event. The fellows made full use of the opportunity to join various sessions of interest and to broaden their networks. Several sent their gratitude and shared some of their highlights and reflections, some excerpts of which are captured below:

Dr Amos Apraku shared his appreciation of the measure of support for early career researchers and higher education in Africa:

It was gratifying to note governments, university leaderships and the Commonwealth as a political entity continue to place education and research at the centre of development in less-developed countries, particularly in Africa. Similarly, various funding institutions and scholarship awarding bodies are committed to this gesture (prioritisation of research and development) by continually making funding available to emerging  academics from poor countries with special focus on women. To whom much is given, much is expected; beneficiaries of various scholarships and research funding and their institutions are therefore expected to give back to society in the form of using research and technology to develop societies.

Amos Apraku, Caroline Moss and Benson Iweriebor

Dr Benson Iweriebor reflected on a number of the sessions of the conference as well as his first experience visiting Ghana and the opportunity to engage with different groups at the event:

The trip to Ghana was very eventful as it was my first time visiting that country. The conference was well organised and attended by eminent scholars from across Commonwealth nations from the Caribbean, to Asia, to Canada, Australia, Fiji, and Africa. I was privileged to meet many erudite scholars who were university administrators… I was also able to attend concurrent sessions throughout the conference: ‘Funding trends and opportunities’ and ‘Developing the new generation’ on the first day which culminated in a welcome party organised by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon. It was an opportunity to unwind and meet fellow attendees and we were entertained by the university’s cultural group where people danced to the rhythm of drums. Oh, I loved the way the delegates from Sri Lanka danced enthusiastically to the beating of the drums.

The second day of the conference… ended with a plenary entitled ‘Addressing historical injustice: from Rhodes to reparations’ with Profs Sir Hilary Beckles (VC, University of the West Indies) and Prof Adam Habib (VC, University of the Witwatersrand). Both talked about their experiences as university administrators on the issues of the slave trade and need for reparation following student protests to have the Rhodes statue in South Africa removed. To cap the day’s events, a gala dinner was held for delegates at the State House with The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC being the guest speaker. Delegates were treated to good music and a sumptuous dinner. It just felt like being home in Nigeria with my colleagues Dr Eunice Thomas, Apraku Amos, Bola Onifade and Victoria Tanimonure. I miss these great and amazing souls and thank CIRCLE and the NRF for giving me the possibility to meet them all.

Victoria Tanimonure shared how several sessions at the conference highlighted the importance of research uptake as part of the research process:

The concurrent session that benefitted me most was on the research uptake ‘Ensuring that research benefits society’. There are many research outputs wasting away on the shelf without transferring them to appropriate stakeholders that could benefit from them, thereby bringing university research into use. This has been my concern over the years. Sometimes I asked myself the usefulness of all this research work - are they just for our promotion and CVs? I think it is high time we did things differently in this regard. One of the speakers who shared her experience on research uptake from her university’s perspective mentioned that they have put in place in her institution an opportunity for research uptake starting from the departmental level, then to the faculty and institutional levels. I felt strongly in my heart that I can pioneer that from my department and faculty as soon as I return to my institution. To achieve this, I found the handbook by DRUSSA very helpful.

Also, the conference debate was really an interesting one and, to me, it still boiled down to the issue of research uptake: how society can benefit immensely from universities as they rise up to the task of social responsibilities. I am sure we still have a long way to go in Africa, and Nigeria in particular, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. We will get there. 

Dr Eunice Thomas shared how she had benefited from attending various sessions at the conference:

On the first day of the Programme, after the opening session and the keynote address by Kofi Annan, I attended a concurrent session where speakers shared with us on funding trends and opportunities in the UK, Sweden and USA. This was an eye-opener to various funding bodies and how to access them… In the afternoon, speakers talked about various aspects of development for upcoming researchers and the knowledge I garnered will be of a great benefit to me in my career.

The second day of the conference witnessed many sections.  Prof Crispus Kiamba talked about the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) taskforce. He highlighted the current goals of CSFP, their operations and the endowment fund set up.  That same day, in the afternoon barriers and opportunities in Africa were discussed by 3 speakers.  Later, Accessibility and the various norms in selected universities were discussed.  I now have a better understanding of the operations of the Commonwealth Scholarship. I am most grateful to the NRF for sponsoring me for this conference. I must say that you have equipped me with long term tools that will contribute immensely to my success in making a change in Africa in my career. It is a great privilege you have given me to interact with contacts from various fields all over the world.  Thank you once again. 

Gender in climate change research

Participants at the CIRCLE proposal writing workshop for female applicants to cohort 3

Women are disproportionately affected by climate change. They have a higher dependence on natural resources which are increasingly in short supply; natural disasters, which are becoming more commonplace, kill more women than men; and women often lack the social capital in society to adapt to changing circumstances or to make their voices heard. Involving women and other marginalised groups in tackling climate change and in shaping approaches to cope with and adapt to its impacts can greatly enhance their effectiveness.

During the Paris climate talks in December, gender was one of the key topics under discussion. However, some have suggested that the debate did not move far enough beyond the impacts of climate change on women to consider how women themselves can be active agents within the climate change debate. There is some discussion about women in agriculture and how they should be engaged in developing solutions on the ground, but what about women’s engagement within higher level policy discussions?

Though Africa will be one of the continents hardest hit by climate change, there are still not enough researchers within the continent examining the impact of climate change and exploring approaches to mitigate and adapt to its effects. Women in sub-Saharan Africa are especially underrepresented, making up just 30% of researchers.

Recognising the lack of African researchers in the field of Climate change, the Climate Impact Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement in Sub-Saharan Africa (CIRCLE) was developed to support 100 one year fellowships over the course of three years for early career researchers to conduct a research project at leading African institutions in the field of climate change. The programme is now going into its second year with the start of the second cohort of CIRCLE visiting fellows.

CIRCLE also aims to award 50% of its fellowships to female researchers, in an effort to address the underrepresentation of women in this field. To date, 48% of CIRCLE fellows have been female researchers. Over the course of last year a number of female researchers from the first cohort of fellows have contributed their experiences to the CIRCLE blog and it is evident that a lot has been achieved by both male and female fellows.

At the final workshop for the first cohort of CIRCLE Visiting Fellows (CVFs), a presentation was made by Mercy Derkyi on her plans to establish a Centre for Climate Change and Gender Studies at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Ghana, inspired by the work undertaken during her fellowship. This exemplified one of the key aims of the CIRCLE fellowships, to foster the leadership skills of CVFs so that they can have a wider reaching positive impact. It is hoped that the female CVFs will act as role models to encourage, inspire and assist more women to undertake climate change research.

The CIRCLE programme is also an important opportunity for female researchers to strengthen their profile and contribute to the academic dialogue on climate change. Another CVF, Catherine Mungai, recently won an award for her research paper, emerging from her CIRCLE research, presented at the Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation in Africa 2016, CGIAR.

There have been some challenges, however, in ensuring equal representation of male and female fellows as part of the fellowship. During the application process some institutions struggled to find female candidates for the fellowships. Furthermore, the applications that were received were often not as developed in their scientific design and climate change relevance as those of their male counterparts.

To confront some of the challenges around attracting sufficient numbers of high quality applications from women the CIRCLE management team put in place a number of measures:

• Greater flexibility was allowed for fellows whose family circumstances would affect their ability to travel to other countries to take up their fellowship;
• The specification of a maximum 5 year gap between PhD completion and fellowship was extended for those who had a career break for family reasons
• Home institutions were made aware of the 50% target and any institutions nominating more that one candidate had to nominate at least one woman.
• In February 2016 a workshop was run for potential female applicants for the third and final cohort of CIRCLE fellows to help strengthen their proposal writing skills, with particular reference to their CIRCLE proposal submissions.

With reference to the last initiative, each home institution was invited to nominate up to two female researchers to attend the workshop, run by Dr Maggie Opondo and Dr Sari Kovats, both leading female researchers in the field of climate change. Not only did the workshop cover proposal writing skills, but also a more in-depth look at gender in climate change and the workshop leaders spent some time with participants reviewing their draft proposals for the programme. One workshop participant commented:

“The workshop has helped to broaden my understanding on proposal writing especially with respect to climate change. I was able to review my CIRCLE proposal and I feel more confident now that I can approach proposal writing with ease. I also acquired new and relevant skills which will be beneficial for my academic discipline.”

Another workshop participant observed:

“The important aspects explained on how to make your proposal feasible as well as using the gender lens in climate change studies were wonderful. I have benefited not only as a CIRCLE programme fellow but as a researcher.”

The drive to increase female representation for the application process seems to have been effective, with 60% female nominations for this cohort compared to 39% for both cohorts 1 and 2. Participants at the workshop in February also indicated that their confidence in writing their proposal has been increased and the workshop leaders identified a number of exciting proposal topics, which we are looking forward to receiving for the final round of CIRCLE applications.

Caroline Moss is a programme Officer at the Association of Commonwealth Universities

Exploring the benefits of Science Diplomacy at the TWAS Workshop, Italy

Science diplomacy takes many forms: When nations come together to negotiate cooperative agreements on fisheries management or infectious disease monitoring, they need scientific expertise. When scientists come together for complex multi-national projects in astronomy or physics, their nations devise diplomatic agreements on management and financing. And when political relations between two nations are strained or broken, joint research efforts can give them a way to keep talking – and to build trust.

Today, the need for science diplomacy is growing. In collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), TWAS (The World Academy of Sciences) organised a 5-day in Trieste, Italy from the 30 November to 4 December 2015 to discuss key contemporary international policy issues relating to science diplomacy and sustainable water management, including the use of shared rivers and underground aquifers, cross-border pollution issues, safe drinking water and more. The programme highlighted several key components, including how to translate scientific work into the policy arena and the role of gender in effecting improved communication of scientific works/outcomes to society.

I was inspired to discover that the director of TWAS was Prof Murenzi from Rwanda and also that there was another powerful organisation for gender advocacy called GENDERInSITE (http://www.genderinsite.net/ ) aside the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OSWD). In general, I learnt that there was the need to learn diplomacy in writing winning proposals, disseminating our research outcomes and finally to have a real-impact, not only just with scientific publishing but putting a smile on communities with our scientific work!

Dr Amos Kabo Bah is from the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Ghana and is in the final stages of completing his CIRCLE Visiting Fellowship at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

CIRCLE at the 4th Climate Change and Population Conference on Africa

Dr Benjamin Gyampoh from the African Academy of Sciences is keeping us updated from the 4th CLIMATE CHANGE AND POPULATION CONFERENCE ON AFRICA, 29 – 31, July, 2015, where we are pleased to have a strong CIRCLE presence.

CIRCLE Visiting Fellows at the conference, from the left: Cathy, Celestine, Batholomew, Divine and Philip

Dr Gyampoh will be making a presentation on CIRCLE titled: “CIRCLE: developing human capital and increasing knowledge for management of Climate Impacts”

6 CVFs are also presenting their work at this conference. They are:

1. Mercy Derkyi:  Exploring Gender, Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity through an Intersectionality Lens: Derkyi, M; Adiku, S, Akwen, N, Dovie, D ,Codjoe, S , Nelson, V and E. Awuah
2. Phillip Antwi-Agyei: Participatory mapping of multiple stressors contributing to vulnerability across scales in the Savannah zone of Ghana.  P. Antwi-Agyei, S.N.Codjoe; S. Adiku; B.D.Dovie
3. Divine Odame Appiah: Smallholder Farmers’ On-Farm Adaptation to Climate Variability in the Bosomtwe District of Ghana. Divine Odame Appiah and Sampson Yamba
4. Cathy Mungai: Does Gender Influence the Uptake of Climate-Smart Agriculture? Experiences from Nyando, Kenya. Catherine Mungai and Mary Nyasimi
5. Olga Laiza Kupika:  Embracing local ecological knowledge in climate change adaptation in Mukwichi communal land, Zimbabwe. Olga Laiza
6. Batholomew Aleke: ICT adoption in the wildlife sector: Implications for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Africa. Bartholomew Ituma Aleke, Kupika Olga L.

Celestine Afiukwa is also attending the conference but not making a presentation.