The Partnership for Africa's Next Generation of Academics (PANGeA) recently launched its Early Career Fellowship Programme which will offer fellowships to 50 staff members within the PANGeA network over four years. The programme aims to identify future academic leaders in the arts, humanities and social sciences on the continent and provide them with an opportunity to receive specialised training in university management and administration.
The announcement was made during a gathering of academics from the network's partner institutions – the University of Botswana, the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, the University of Ghana, Makerere University, the University of Malawi, the University of Nairobi in Kenya, Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa and the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon. The academics were hosted by the Graduate School of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences while the event was held at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) in Stellenbosch.
This is PANGeA's third initiative alongside its training and skills development programme, PANGeA-Ed (read more at http://bit.ly/2sRYy9u), and its well-established doctoral programme. The primary goal of these initiatives is to build doctoral and academic capacity and leadership in the arts, humanities and social sciences at African institutions.
Eight successful applicants were selected from the partner institutions to be part of the first cohort of Early Career Fellows. The Fellowship programme involves an eight week residency in Stellenbosch hosted by the Graduate School in cooperation with STIAS.
“The main purpose of this programme is to invest in promising talent. Given the current constraints in the higher education sector in Africa, we believe that this timely initiative will enable us to retain our most valuable human and intellectual capital," said Prof Anthony Leysens, the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at SU, as he welcomed the applicants during the launch.
The newly elected PANGeA Chair, Prof Enos Njeru, who is also the Principal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, highlighted the increasing expectations of academics globally to produce more research outputs, but at the same time shoulder an ever increasing administrative load.
“The challenge is that academics rarely have the opportunity to focus on research given their teaching schedules and that the vast majority of academic staff have little or no administrative and managerial training to take on such responsibilities. The PANGeA Early Career Fellowship programme aims to address this challenge by creating space for these academics to become skilled in university administration and management while also pursuing their research agenda," said Njeru.
According to Prof Johann Groenewald, Coordinator of Strategic Initiatives at STIAS, “early career development initiatives can help shape and form the transition from a graduate to a researcher and research leader".
“STIAS is grateful, delighted and proud to see the expansion of the PANGeA network. It represents a strong expression of the desire of the higher education sector to make a substantial imprint on the African continent."
In closing, Njeru wished the fellows a successful and enriching stay in Stellenbosch and thanked the PANGeA Board members for their continued support for the network and its initiatives.
“With a history of co-operation and partnership for more than ten years, our success lies in our shared pursuits to draw from our diversity and different strengths to promote mutual benefits. PANGeA is a network by Africans, for Africans to pursue a truly African agenda."
Photo: Representatives from the partner universities that make up the PANGeA network were in attendance at the recent launch of the PANGeA Early Career Fellowship held at STIAS at Stellenbosch University. In the front are Dr Celestino Oriikiriza (Makerere University), Dr Isaiah Kunock Afu (University of Yaoundé I) Dr Florence Tendo Bayiga (Makerere University), Dr Judith Jai Jefwa (University of Nairobi), and Dr Teresa Wanjiru Mbatia (University of Nairobi). At the back are Dr James Orao Onyando (University of Nairobi), Dr John Barugahare (Makerere University), and Dr Elisha Ondieki Makori (University of Nairobi). (Anton Jordaan, SSFD)
