Nairobi Ideas Podcast

The Season 7 finale features a compelling roundtable with young academics, Chebet Koske and Dorcas Mwigereri, discussing the realities of navigating the African academy. They tackle challenges like limited resources, mentorship gaps, and sidelined youth voices, while emphasising the need for intergenerational collaboration and peer support. Our guests share strategies for young people to confidently step into leadership roles and also highlight the critical need for platforms that amplify young voices and center (rather than tokenise) Africa’s youth in shaping the future. Chebet and Caroline close the discussion by sharing their ambitions, advice for older generations, and words to their younger selves. Visit our website to learn more about the Mawazo Institute. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

How are youth shaping and influencing the African research ecosystem and its future? As the youngest generation in the field, they bring with them a unique perspective, and technological implications as digital natives along with their desires and motivations.  Dr. Moses Ngware, Head of Education and Youth Empowerment research at the African Population and Health Research Center, discusses how to harness the power of youth in informal knowledge generation and the pressing need to make research less elitist to support young talent development. This episode also explores succession planning and the role of universities as pathways for upward mobility in African contexts where other economic opportunities face significant barriers. Dr. Moses highlights the importance of creating a welcoming and accessible research ecosystem for the next generation of Africa’s researchers and innovators. Visit our website to learn more about the Mawazo Institute. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

If the African academy is broken, how can it be reimagined? In this bonus episode with Prof. Wandia Njoya, we pick up our conversation on how to build alternative systems that encourage intellectual freedom and critical thinking. We examine the unique history of the university system in Kenya, alongside broader challenges across Africa, exploring the tension between government control and the public's need for universities as engines of social mobility. The conversation also touches on popular GenZ-led protests and the politicisation of universities amidst the depoliticisation of students. Visit our website to learn more about the Mawazo Institute. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Can we reimagine education and create alternatives, or is the African university under siege? With Prof. Wandia Njoya, an Associate Professor of Literature who loves to stretch academic boundaries, we explore the stifling of African talent within the current education system that drives many to seek opportunities abroad. We also discuss the plight of young African women researchers, the lack of career paths for academics and creatives, and the effects of the industrialisation of Africa's universities on learning. Prof. Wandia challenges the current system and shares strategies to nurture young talent and innovation, while resisting global pressures. Visit our website to learn more about the Mawazo Institute. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

We sit down with Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, senior economic policy expert, former Nigerian Minister and Vice President for the World Bank's Africa Region, and founder of the School of Policy and Governance to examine how policy impacts the implementation and utility of research across Africa. We discuss what policymakers need to consider to effectively bridge the gap between policy and research, in order for research to drive meaningful change. Dr. Oby also highlights the critical role of intergenerational learning for women in leadership and discusses the launch of the School of Policy and Governance in Kenya, a new step forward in advancing informed, impactful policymaking across the continent. Visit our website to learn more about the Mawazo Institute. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

What does it means to be a “young” researcher in Africa? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Mutua, a computer science lecturer and Mawazo Fellowship alumnus, to discuss the unique challenges and growth opportunities for young academics. Dr. Elizabeth offers insights from her PhD journey, including the age limitations imposed by funders and the added challenges of balancing her research and starting a family. Dr. Elizabeth also shares her own experience with mentoring, and what inspired her to create a mentorship program for young girls in science, now reaching over 400 high school and university students. This episode sheds light on what it takes to build a career in academia and to uplift the next generation of female scientists in Africa. Visit our website to learn more about the Mawazo Institute. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

In this Sixth and Final Episode of the Mawazo Ideas Podcast Season Six, scholars explore the impact of conflict on African women researchers. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) states that 30 million displaced people live in Africa. This is about one-third of the world’s refugee population. Higher numbers have been recorded in Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Nigeria. Studies have shown that women migrants and refugees often bear the brunt of conflicts, experiencing extreme conditions such as human rights violations, including gender-based violence (Arawi, 2021; Kabamba, 2018). In the DRC, Meger (2010) reports that decades of conflict expose women to sexual exploitation and that girls as young as six months are not spared from the violence being committed by armed groups and the United Nations peacekeepers. This risk of death, rape, and injury often escalates to emotional, intellectual, epistemological, ecological, and a host of attacks that interfere with knowledge production. Join us as we explore this critical topic, what it means for the research ecosystem, as well as some of the peace-building initiatives employed by scholars and their communities to bring about lasting peace. Further Reading Ahmad Kaw, M., & Ahmad, S. (2014). Gender prejudice in the research world: Female researchers in a conflict zone, Kashmir. Library Review, 63(8/9), 684–699. https://doi.org/10.1108/LR-04-2013-0051 Alhaji Ali, M., Ahmad Zakuan, U. A., & Ahmad, M. (2018). The Negative Impact of Boko Haram Insurgency on Women and Children in Northern Nigeria: An Assessment. American International Journal of Social Science Research, 3, 27–33. https://doi.org/10.46281/aijssr.v3i1.141 Arawi, T. (2021). Deconstructing the Challenges of Doing Research in Conflict Zones and Areas of Protracted Conflict: The Ecology of Life in Gaza. In I. Laher (Ed.), Handbook of Healthcare in the Arab World (pp. 3379–3394). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36811-1_220 Kabamba, P. (2018). You Cannot Get Blood Out of a Stone: The Nexus of Neoliberalism, Violence and Slavery in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SSRN Scholarly Paper 3147436). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3147436 Meger, S. (2010). Rape of the Congo: Understanding sexual violence in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 28(2), 119. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02589001003736728  Mohamed, H. (2019). From the Margins to the Centre: Somali Women in Peacebuilding. In M. Keating & M. Waldman (Eds.), War and Peace in Somalia: National Grievances, Local Conflict and Al-Shabaab (p. 0). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190947910.003.0022 Nanjala Nyabola (2020). Traveling while Black: Essays Inspired by a Life on the Move https://www.amazon.com/Travelling-While-Black-Essays-Inspired/dp/1787383822

The team explores how African women scholars fund their doctoral studies in this Fifth Episode of Season Six of the Mawazo Ideas Podcast. The scholars take us on a daring journey of crowdsourcing funding information, seeking familial support, partnering with scholars from different geographical jurisdictions, adapting to existing funding criteria, and mapping new trajectories whenever necessary to secure the coveted doctoral degree. Globally, funding has been cited as the major factor that drives research outcomes among scholars. African women, in particular, are positioned in the lower rungs of the academy and account for a mere 30% of doctoral graduates in sub-Saharan Africa (Tsephe, 2023). Seventeen years ago, African countries committed to spending 1% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on research, yet they only spent 0.42% against the backdrop of a 1.7% global average (Caelers & Okoth, 2023). According to Schultz1, & Rankhumise (2023), accessing research funding constitutes a significant challenge for many academics. A few funding opportunities specifically target African academics, particularly African women. Proactive academics who are knowledgeable about the opportunities and often take advantage of such opportunities. Notably, many academics report difficulties in obtaining funding, possibly because of a lack of transparency in funding opportunities, a lack of knowledge about funding opportunities, and a lack of expertise to access funding opportunities (Ramnund-Mansingh & Seedat-Khan 2020). Generally, funding is a challenge for Black women academics (Monnapula-Mapesela, M. 2017). With the myriad of urgent problems facing the African continent, investment in research and development is imperative to the continent’s growth in all spheres. While research is not necessarily limited to the academy, a doctoral degree is a prerequisite to entering the academy, securing tenure, and commanding space for African women as a traditionally marginalised demographic. For these women, access to funding allows them to take up scholarly space and solve some of the most urgent challenges on the continent. Further Reading Caelers D. & Okoth D. (2023) Research Funding in Africa: navigating sustainability and shifting perspectives. https://www.nature.com/articles/d44148-023-00360-4 Monnapula-Mapesela, M. (2017). Developing as an academic leader in a university of technology in South Africa: Dealing with enabling and constraining teaching and learning environments. Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning, 5(2), 69-85. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/cristal/article/view/164434  Ramnund-Mansingh, A., & Seedat-Khan, M. (2020). Understanding the career trajectories of black female academics in South Africa: A case study of the University of Kwazulu-Natal. Perspectives in Education, 38(2), 56-69. https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.18820/2519593X/pie.v38.i2.04 Schultz1, C., & Rankhumise, E. (2023). Constraints and contributors in advancing black women academic researchers at a university in South Africa. South African Journal of Higher Education, 37(4), 248-265. https://journals.co.za/doi/full/10.20853/37-4-5070#b16-high_v37_n4_a13  Tsephe, L. (2023). Factors impacting African women’s doctoral success (p. 152). AOSIS. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/88046 

In this fourth episode of season 6 of the Mawazo Ideas Podcast, the team explores how women scholars pioneer, research, and generally exist on the margins of academia.  Scholars explore the gendered experiences of women academics through the feminist intersectional lens. The discussion focuses on sexism and misogyny within the academy and other critical intersecting identities like race, ageism, and disability which create and reproduce structural inaccuracies, impede academic freedom, and sustain structural marginalization of African women academics (Phaswana-Mafuya, 2023; Tamale & Onyango, 1997; Sougou et al. 2022; Madikizela-Madiya & Mkhwanazi 2024). For women doctoral candidates, advisory relationships, childcare for student mothers or lack thereof create a world of difference between who succeeds, who merely survives, and who abandons the academy altogether (Tsephe, 2021), and as Mose (2019) observes, such structural inequalities have a ripple impact on women professors who often shoulder the bulk of the care work by directly supporting their own families, the students, and their male colleagues. Finally, disability inclusion in the academy invites us to go beyond the physical infrastructure by considering the intangible but critical structures that foster disability justice and inclusion. Join us, as we unpack the layers of gendered experiences and how the academy can leverage into the existing feminist work to create more inclusive spaces which will ultimately improve the quality of research. Further Reading Madikizela-Madiya, N., & Mkhwanazi, S. T. (2024). Academic identities and socio-spatial exclusions of academics with disabilities: A capabilities approach. Disability & Society, 0(0), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2024.2311357 Mose, C. (2019). Towards a (more) gender-responsive model of collaboration. Journal of African Cultural Studies, 31(3), 283–286. Phaswana-Mafuya, R. N. (2023). Navigating Academia: Women’s Stories of Success and Struggle - A Call to Action. UJ Press. https://doi.org/10.36615/9781776447497 Sougou, N. M., Ndiaye, O., Nabil, F., Folayan, M. O., Sarr, S. C., Mbaye, E. M., & Martínez-Pérez, G. Z. (2022). Barriers of West African women scientists in their research and academic careers: A qualitative research. PLOS ONE, 17(3), e0265413. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265413 Tamale, S., & Oloka-Onyango, J. (1997). Bitches at the academy: Gender and academic freedom at the African university. Africa Development/Afrique et Développement, 22(1), 13-37. Tsephe, L. (2021). A capabilities approach to African women’s success in doctoral programmes in South Africa (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pretoria (South Africa).

In this third episode of season 6 of the Mawazo Ideas Podcast, the team explores the role of community in the PhD journey.   Scholars communicate in information sharing, innovation, publication, and evaluating each other’s work, establishing and maintaining ties that become an integral part of a scholar’s career. Yet, conducting research is often described as a lonely and isolating affair. Subjective accounts of women academics from around the world have referred to this as a period of ‘professional isolation and chilly institutional climate’ (Miller & Shrum, 2012). Academics who fail to develop the connections they need often suffer from stress and burnout as they progress through their courses, and are at a heightened risk of experiencing loneliness (Shaver et al., 1985; McLaughlin and Sillence, 2018).   Join us as we delve into the definition of community, the various types of community, and how to leverage them during the doctoral degree. Further reading Miller, B. P., & Shrum, W. (2012). Isolated in a technologically connected world?: Changes in the core professional ties of female researchers in Ghana, Kenya, and Kerala, India. Sociological Quarterly, 53(2), 143–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-8525.2012.01229.x Shaver, P., Furman, W., & Buhrmester, D. (1985). Transition to college: Network changes, social skills, and loneliness. In S. Duck & D. Perlman (Eds.), Understanding personal relationships: An interdisciplinary approach (pp. 193–219). Sage Publications, Inc. McLaughlin, C. J., & Sillence, E. (2018). Buffering against academic loneliness: The benefits of social media-based peer support during postgraduate study. Active Learning in Higher Education, 24(1), 63–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787418799185 Randolph, S. M., & Koblinsky, S. A. (2012). Infant mental health in African American families: a sociocultural perspective. In SAGE Publications, Inc. eBooks (pp. 307–326). https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412976008.n16

In this second episode, we delve into the topic of Research Mobility among African women scholars. According to Momeni et al. (2020), academic progress is significantly influenced by international collaboration among researchers. Research mobility, defined as the ability or opportunity for researchers to move and pursue academic activities in different locations, institutions, or countries, plays a crucial role in fostering these global collaborations. Join us on this episode of the Mawazo Ideas Podcast as we explore various forms of research mobility, the motivations behind African women pursuing PhD studies abroad, the challenges they encounter, and their strategies for overcoming these obstacles. Our discussions are enriched by application data from the Mawazo Fellowship Programme, as well as insights from our Fellows and Alumni. Further reading: Momeni, F., Karimi, F., Mayr, P., Peters, I., & Dietze, S. (2022). The many facets of academic mobility and its impact on scholars’ career. Journal of Informetrics, 16(2), 101280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2022.101280  Knight, J., & Woldegiorgis, E. (2017). Regionalization of African Higher Education: Progress and Prospects. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-956-0 Woldegiorgis, E. T., & Doevenspeck, M. (2015). Current trends, challenges and prospects of student mobility in the African higher education landscape. International Journal of Higher Education, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v4n2p105 Prozesky, H., & Beaudry, C. (2019). Mobility, gender and career development in higher Education: results of a Multi-Country survey of African academic scientists. Social Sciences, 8(6), 188. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8060188 Cañibano, C., Otamendi, J., & Andújar, I. (2008). Measuring and assessing researcher mobility from CV analysis: the case of the Ramón y Cajal programme in Spain. Research Evaluation, 17(1), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.3152/095820208x292797 Prozesky, H. (2008). A Career-History Analysis of Gender Differences in Publication Productivity among South African Academics. Science & Technology Studies, 21(2), 47–67. https://doi.org/10.23987/sts.55226

This season of the Mawazo Ideas Podcast, we are exploring the Realities of African Women in Research. Join us as we dive into  what it truly means to pursue a PhD on the continent on as an African woman. For the first episode of the season, we will follow an African woman's journey into the research realm. African women only account for 31.5 percent of the researchers on the continent, yet an increase from 30.9 per cent in 2011 (UNESCO, 2024) has continued to inspire more women to pursue doctoral degrees. What really are the motivations for African women to study for a PhD? Listen in as we hear from our alumni on the application process, challenges and anxieties experienced, dealing with supervisors and post-PhD plans. Further Reading:  Amutabi, M. N. (2018). Social and Political Obstacles in Pursuing PhD Degree in Africa: Interrogating the Problem of Gatekeepers and Structural Obstacles. Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies. 2 (1), 2018: 126 – 146. Haynes, C. et al. (2012) ‘My World is not my doctoral program…or is it?: Female students’ perceptions of well-being’, International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 7, pp. 001–017. doi:10.28945/1555. Levecque, K. et al. (2017) ‘Work Organization and Mental Health Problems in Phd students’, Research Policy, 46(4), pp. 868–879. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2017.02.008. Platt, J., & Schaefer, C. (1995). Clinical Psychology Students’ Subjective Stress Ratings during Their Doctoral Training. Psychological Reports, 76(3), 994-994. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1995.76.3.994 Sekas, G; Wile, M Z. Stress-related illnesses and sources of stress: comparing M.D.-Ph.D., M.D., and Ph.D. students. Journal of Medical Education 55(5):p 440-6, May 1980. The gender gap in science: status and trends, February 2024. UNESCO    

In 28 years, African cities are projected to be home to 950 million people and by the end of this century, 2100, Africa is projected to be the only continent with a growing population. This is according to the Africa Development Bank. Against this backdrop of a rapidly urbanising space, it is crucial we understand how our cities are developing and whom they serve. To answer these questions, we brought together two celebrities - Georgie Ndirangu and Just Ivy Africa to test their knowledge against an expert - data scientist and 2021 Mawazo Learning Exchange Fellow, Mutono Nyamai whose work focuses on combining applied epidemiological modelling and data analytics to develop prevention and control strategies for infectious diseases in Africa. Additionally, Mutono is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA) at the University of Nairobi where she studies the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases.   In front of a live audience, we asked our celebrities questions about our home town - Nairobi, how African cities are tackling climate change and the built environment of cities on the continent. Further Reading: This Is What Informal Transit Looks Like When You Actually Map It - Bloomberg Land use management challenges for the city of Nairobi About EDGE green building certification system Growing plants on buildings can reduce heat and produce healthy food in African cities Kenya Power to spend $331,000 in pilot transition to electric vehicles Kenya Power should rethink strategy on electric vehicles Cementing material from rice husk-broken bricks-spent bleaching earth-dried calcium carbide residue Kenyan recycles plastic waste into bricks stronger than concrete Development of banana fibers and wood bottom ash modified cement mortars The history of Akon City Akon to build new city in Senegal with own currency called AKoin The 3 trends shaping the future of Africa’s cities

Mawazo builds platforms to help scientists communicate on the issues of our time. To unpack what the climate change looks like for the African continent we hosted a live quiz night that put local celebrities to the test against experts. With three rounds of trivia questions and only one winner, our quiz night, 'It's Getting Hot in Here' featured marine scientist Dr. Fiona Moejes (Mawazo CEO) and media personalities, Wanjira Longauer and Georgie Ndirangu. We'd love to see you at the next Quiz Night on Tuesday Nov 1st! This time we're talking about the future of African cities. RSVP on Eventbrite: bit.ly/3gEk3F3 or catch the Livestream on our YouTube page. 

The research to commercialisation pipeline is plagued with a lot of unknowns and many researchers don’t know where to start when thinking about how to attract funding for their ideas. In this episode, we replay a taped discussion with industry professionals, where we demystify the commercialisation pipeline for researchers. We also talk about gender and the investment landscape.  The discussion features: Kim-Andrée Potvin - partner at Bamboo Capital Partners and Board Chair of the Mawazo Institute; Carol Masila-Maiko - international lawyer and legal associate at Persistent Energy; Faith Wilson - a venture builder at Persistent Energy and Prof. Maina Mwangi-Director of Innovation Incubation and University Industry Linkages at Kenyatta University. Research to Commercialisation (R2C) Accelerator; Twitter, Facebook, Instagram Directorate of Innovation, Incubation & University Industry Linkages (IIUIL); Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Persistent Energy; Twitter, LinkedIn Bamboo Capital Partners; Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA); Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn Young Entrepreneurs in Science (YES); LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram BasiGo

Dr. Jacqueline Kariithi is a trailblazing environmental scientist working in the Mt. Elgon region of Kenya, which makes up part of the country’s bread basket. Although the region supplies a large share of the nation's maize crop, which is critical to national food security, many people who live in the area remain food insecure. Through El- Koony center, where Dr. Kariithi is CEO, she is using scientific methods to explore techniques that can help improve food security and resilience to climate change for the Mt. Elgon ecosystem.  Further Reading: Visit El-Koony Center: www.elkoony.org, Twitter, Facebook Mountain Voices: oral testimonies from Mount Elgon, Kenya: local themes: agriculture Kenya County Climate Risk Profile: Trans Nzoia County The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing

What might the future of education look like for Africa? In this episode, we share a discussion with Julia Jenjezwa, a Zimbabwean product designer and educator, and Dr. Wangui Kimari, a Kenyan urban scholar. Both Julia and Wangui use human-centered research practices to work within communities in Kenya, Tanzania, Nepal, and elsewhere. In this episode, they share how applying co-visioning and co-design in their work has helped them become better scientists and educators. How can these approaches shape how we “do” higher education on the continent? More information from the episode: Julia Jenjezwa - Website, Twitter, Linkedin Dr. Wangui Kimari - Research Papers, Africa is A Country @MathareSJustice,  Who is Next? MSJC A Participatory Action Research Report Against the Normalization of Extrajudicial Executions in Mathare. UTA Do - African Cities Workshop  Invention Education Toolkit for African Universities Field Ready - Humanitarian Aid Supplies Made in the Field

How are African ideas being used to build the future of the African continent? Season 5 of the Nairobi Ideas Podcast returns September 15th under a brand new theme; 'African Futures'.  Don't miss our new season as we talk to experts whose work explores new pathways around; the future of education, the future of food, the future of African cities, the future of health, and approaches to climate change adaptation on the continent. Learn more about the 'African Futures' campaign on our website: www.mawazoinstitute.org/africanfutures Don't miss an episode: Subscribe now and get all our new episode updates!

Our oceans are becoming "hot, sour, and breathless," says Dr. David Obura, a marine biologist supporting coral reef research and conservation in Africa. In this episode, we explore how our oceans are changing as a result of climate change and the challenges this poses for African island-nations whose statehood is being threatened by rising sea levels. We are joined by Dr. David Obura and Angelique Pouponneau, a Legal Expert in climate change, oceans and global commons, and a speaker on youth, Blue Economy, and Islanders' rights in the face of rising sea levels. Angelique Pouponneau Twitter Linkedin Dr. David Obura Linkedin

What is gender based violence and how is it impacted by Climate change? It is estimated that one in three women will experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime. During displacement and times of crisis which may be caused by wars, climate change and other occurrences, the threat of gender based violence significantly increases for women and girls. To help us understand how climate change impacts gender, we are joined by Dorothy Kazombo Mwale, a Malawian Environmentalist and Climate Justice Advocate currently studying BSc. in Forestry and Environmental Management. Dorothy also works with Green Girls Platform as a Public Relations Officer.