The 9th AfricaLics Ph.D. Academy on Innovation and Competence Building Systems

Application Deadline: 31^st March 2023

The AfricaLics network, hosted by the African Centre for Technology Studies, is an academic research and capacity building network that focuses on how innovation (the process through which new or improved products, processes, organizational forms, ways of working and acting are introduced into new environments) occurs and the relationship this has with economic and social development in African countries.  Such research is becoming known as African ‘innovation and development studies’ because it is at the intersection of innovation studies and development studies.

The 9^th AfricaLics PhD Academy provides an opportunity for PhD students enrolled at African universities who work in the field of innovation and development studies to gain more knowledge of this burgeoning field, meet leading academics in this field and receive feedback on their PhD studies.

The 9^th AfricaLics PhD Academy will be held as an online event in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

This is a call for students enrolled in a PhD at an African university who work in the field of innovation and development studies to apply to participate in this one-week online event.

Eligibility Requirements

PhD students working in innovation and development studies and who are principally interested in how innovation relates to economic and social development in Africa are the main target group for the PhD Academy.

The Academy will involve around 20-25 students from Africa and a handful of students from the rest of the world.

Specifically, PhD students who wish to participate will need to fulfill the following requirements:

• be at least in the beginning of his/her second year at the time of the academy
• work explicitly on issues related to policy-oriented analysis of science, technology and innovation
• be able to present an original paper reflecting his/her research and/or thesis work that fits within the thematic areas of the AfricaLics network

If you are in doubt as to whether you can apply, please contact us through the email address at the bottom of the call.

Master degree students who wish to participate will need to fulfil the following requirements:

• be a registered Masters student in an African university on a degree programme in the area of economics, business or management studies, sociology or development studies or similar
• have a Masters project that will focus on an aspect of innovation studies (i.e. innovation management or innovation systems)

How to apply

PhD students who apply must submit an extended abstract of their PhD thesis of not more than 5 pages.

Masters students who apply must submit an extended abstract of their Masters project of not more than 2 pages.

The abstract must be submitted together with the applicant’s CV and a recommendation letter from the principal PhD/ Master’s supervisor or a senior scholar who knows the applicant’s work.

These three documents should be sent to the AfricaLics Secretariat ([email protected]) on or before 23:00 hours East Africa time on Friday 31^st March 2023.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the AfricaLics Ph.D. Academy