Global Resilience Partnership’s Post

I am excited to share that I attended on October 16th an insightful conference on “The Future of Africa's Urbanisation – #Emergence, #Challenges, and #Opportunities” by Prof. Dr. Clifford Amoako a distinguished Professor from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), Ghana. The event took place at the University of Bern, offering a deep dive into the complex dynamics shaping #Africa's urban landscapes. Key Themes Explored: 🌍 Africa's Rapid Urbanisation Understanding the forces driving urban growth across African cities. Exploring the socioeconomic and environmental factors influencing urban migration. 🏙️ Challenges of Urbanisation Infrastructure deficits in expanding urban areas. Climate change impacts and environmental risks in urban planning. Social inequalities and informal settlements. 🚀 Opportunities in Urban Planning Policy interventions and planning for sustainable development. The role of technology and innovation in future African cities. Integrating resilience and inclusivity into urban development strate Why This Matters: Africa is undergoing one of the fastest urbanisation rates in the world, and understanding the emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities is essential for shaping resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities across the continent. Prof. Amoako highlighted the importance of strategic planning and innovation to address the unique challenges Africa faces in urban growth. #AfricanUrbanisation #SustainableCities #UrbanChallenges #UrbanDevelopment #FutureOfAfrica University of Bern Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi

The future of humanity is inextricably linked to Africa’s future. Yet, established narratives around the future of the continent continue to reflect the long-standing imbalances in knowledge production and in academic research on Africa. Research remains largely dominated by institutions in, or with close links to, the Global North. Reframing the narrative around Africa’s future requires the mobilization of diverse knowledge traditions. Africa is a continent with immense potential for growth and development. However, one of the key challenges hindering progress is the limited access to and utilization of knowledge resources. The UNESCO Chairs and Partners Forum on Transforming knowledge for Africa’s future aims to strengthen interdisciplinary and collaborative research capacity in Africa, including through more inclusive and effective South-South and South-South-North research partnerships.https://https://lnkd.in/e_kP_hnn

Focus is Africa.

Sustainable Development Goals, are we there yet?– challenges and shortcomings Literature reviews were conducted with the aim of analysing and deriving evidence and reference points. A qualitative research approach was also used in order to properly identify situations, problems and solutions related to the particular context of sustainable development with Africa as a focus.

We are proud of Dr. Adeola Abdulateef Elega (Ph.D.), a Senior Lecturer in the Mass Communication department at Nile University of Nigeria, for his outstanding contribution to the field of sustainable #journalism. Dr. Elega's research has been published in the prestigious Routledge Taylor & Francis Group's “Journalism Practice”, a top-tier academic journal. This remarkable research work, co-authored with leading researchers from South #Africa, #Portugal, #Ireland, #Germany, #Brazil, and #Australia, delves into how African digital platforms, Econai and Ushahidi, are driving #empowerment and advancing sustainable #journalism across the #continent. By addressing key socio-economic and #environmental challenges, this research aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and underscores the power of digital citizen engagement. This publication not only spotlights #Africa's resilience but also enriches global conversations on sustainable #journalism in the Global South. Read the academic article here: https://lnkd.in/dEGeT9er Honoris United Universities #educationforimpact #beyonddegrees #buildyoursuccess #SustainableJournalism #AcademicExcellence #GlobalResearch #DigitalEmpowerment #AfricaLeadership

Agenda 2063; The Africa We Want, is Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future and is rooted in Agenda 2030. It is the continent’s strategic framework that aims to deliver on its goal for inclusive and sustainable development and is a concrete manifestation of the pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance. Thanks to the University of Cambridge for this online course where we got to interact with Professors and Doctors of various faculties in order to not only understand the 17 SDGs and their 169 targets but also appreciate the challenges and implementation strides made so far in their achievement through Agenda 2030. 'The sustainability revolution will, hopefully, be the third major social and economic turning point in human history, following the Neolithic Revolution – moving from hunter-gathering to farming – and the Industrial Revolution' - Prince Charles Democratising Education for Global Sustainability and Justice

UNITAR CIFAL Jeju pioneering Global Solutions for Sustainable Development! 🌱 Good Governance, Disaster Risk Reduction, and City for All were some of the programmes that CIFAL Jeju provided for everyone who wanted to address complex challenges through innovative approaches. 🌏Its guiding theme for 2023 was “Amplifying Impact: Pioneering Global Solutions for Sustainable Development”. For this reason, CIFAL Jeju decided to offer education and training programs related to many areas such as economic development, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, peace, cross-cutting, and culture.   CIFAL Jeju includes youth engagement programmes, conducting expert seminars and workshops on culture and development, and on global citizenship education. It even is hosting the Jeju International Future Generation Forum (JIFF).   Finally, CIFAL Jeju is committed to continuing to contribute to the collective efforts of international and local stakeholders in its pursuit of the SDGs. 🔗 To read more, click here: #CifalGlobalNetwork #SustainableDevelopment #CifalJeju #GlobalSolutions 

I have not attended many gatherings regarding STI or research systems in Africa where multiple layers of “lack of” discussions do not permeate their framings. I have struggled with this for years. Inevitably, foregrounding this narrative can be blinding to all the abundance we have on our continent, within and for the system. In May, the Worldwide Universities Network invited me to address their President’s Forum, with a focus on maximising the benefits of partnerships. I saw it as an opportunity to articulate what abundance, in my opinion looks like, on the continent with the O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI) as an example. My key points were: 1. If we allow ourselves time we can brainstorm and leverage innovative funding models for research in and for Africa. 2. An important but yet to be fully appreciated and acknowledged enabler for building sustainable partnerships is to lean into relational practices (relational ways of working, of designing and implementing collaborative programmes). 3. A core part, with time as an underlying enabler, is to engineer multilateral programmes that are rooted in the host university research plans (as opposed to predetermined research priorities), that have sustainability in mind, and that acknowledge that success will be achieved through co-design, co-implementation, and co-learning. The ORTARChI model of supporting research on the continent, with a focus on retaining excellent scientists, producing research that is context relevant, and contributing to human capital development was intentionally built, leveraging existing networks of funders and universities, to support sustainability and ownership. It was a privilege to represent The National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) at this meeting.

📢 Excited to Share A Latest Publication! 📢 I'm thrilled to announce the publication of our co-authored research article entitled "Education, Child Health, and Mining: Evidence from Papua New Guinea", in the Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Journal (APSDJ). This work was made possible thanks to the invaluable guidance of my PhD supervisors, Dr. Pauline Khoo and Dr. Rajesh Ramachandran. Our study delves into the complex interplay between education, child health, and the mining sector in Papua New Guinea. We explore how the nation's rich cultural diversity, geographical isolation, and abundant mineral resources influence its path towards sustainable development. Key findings from our research highlight: - Despite progress in the education sector, the average years of schooling remain around 6 years, with less than 30% of the population completing secondary education. - Early childhood malnutrition is a significant issue, with nearly 50% of children being stunted and 20% underweight. - Mining, while economically vital, poses challenges by exacerbating disparities in education and health, especially in mining provinces. In addition, our comparative analysis with Papua, Indonesia provides some insight into how different historical and governance contexts impact development outcomes. We find that Papua New Guinea lags behind in human capital, access to public goods, and asset ownership, emphasizing the need for a holistic development approach that balances economic growth with social well-being. We hope this study sparks further discussion and research on sustainable development in resource-rich regions. Dive into our findings and join the conversation on how Papua New Guinea can navigate its journey towards a more equitable future. Once again, a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Rajesh Ramachandran and Dr. Pauline Phoo for their continued support and mentorship throughout this research journey. #SustainableDevelopment #ChildHealth #Education #Mining #Research #PapuaNewGuinea #AcademicPublication #APSDJ #Economics #PhD

📣We are pleased to introduce our new project 🍀SAGES: Spatial Analysis of Growth, Environment and Sustainable Well-being! 🔎Follow our social media pages to stay updated on new research into well-being, national and international events including workshops, conferences and seminars, access to newsletters and dedicated policy papers. 📈🌐SAGES project approaches the well-being theme aiming at raising awareness of well-being patterns and disparities to shape citizen-focused policies that benefit us all. It is grounded on the contemporary knowledge-based society needs and shaped by our social, economic and environmental surroundings, empowering us to contribute with purpose and meaning. 🤝Whether you are a researcher, academic, policy maker, member of civil society or media professional, SAGES has something for you! 📌The project is coordinated by the Centre for European Studies of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania. The project is funded by the European Union through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. 🎬Join us on this journey to better well-being for all! #SAGESproject #wellbeing #sustainablegrowth #research #policymakers #CES #UAIC