PARTICIPATE WITH RECIRCULATE COMMUNICATIONS WEBINAR

THEME - "HOW CAN RESEARCHERS BEST COMMUNICATE THEIR WORK?"

OBJECTIVES - TO COMMUNICATE RESEARCH MORE EFFECTIVELY

DATE - FEBRUARY 24TH 11.00 BST (UK time)

DURATION - 2.0 HOURS

VENUE: Microsoft Teams Webinar Link - Click HERE to join the meeting

THE COMMUNICATIONS WEBINAR

There is no arguing that there exist huge gaps between academic research and industry in many African countries providing a reason for an urgent need to design policy tools, knowledge transfer programmes and pathway-to-impact models to ensure a new era of impact-oriented research in African countries, driven by providing STI-backed solutions to actual problems. This is a strategic push that is needed to support the process of change from a ‘publish or perish’ agenda to a ‘publish and impact’ agenda in African research.

Most African researchers know the term ‘Publish or Perish’ which is used to describe the fact that research in Africa is being driven fundamentally from a ‘publish to be promoted’ basis as against from a ‘publish for impact’ basis. While both bases can function together, the trouble is that most African STI-researchers are not driven by research for impact because they do not seem to have a compulsion to. In an environment where there are so many challenges, in which research can be designed to provide solutions to these challenges, most African researchers publish without a clear impetus to make real change. There are pressing issues that makes researching to answer real practical questions in African institutions difficult and in most cases untenable.

Academia says ‘we have knowledge’; Industry says ‘we have Money’; and Government says ‘we have Power’. One of the challenges that stifles implementation of STI policies and programmes is the ‘working in a bubble’ situation faced by most agencies emphasized by the silos-working mentality of the tripartite segments of society as shown above. These can be addressed under an eco-innovation framework with knowledge transfer and capacity building at its core. Established strategies like co-location of academia and industry; co-development and co-delivery of research programmes between research and industry; practical SME-solutions through student research projects; consultancy relationships with practical mutual benefits, to mention but a few.

In all of these models of bridging the gaps between research and research users, one of the most important drivers is communication. Researchers have their own language but how much is this language understood by other members of the society especially non-researchers. What are the ways of communicating research to government, industry and rural communities beyond the publication of research papers which seems to be the principal way that research is being communicated now.

In order to support in the mitigation of some of these challenges, Lancaster University has won two projects for Africa – RECIRCIRCULATE (a 7 Million Pounds Capacity Building Project) and ACTUATE (a 800,000 Pounds Waste to Energy Demonstrator Plant Development Project). Key components of these projects revolve around capacity building for knowledge transfer, entrepreneurship and innovation with over 200 young African professionals trained from over ten African countries.

The objectives of this Enterprise Webinar therefore include:

1. To highlight the objectives and progress of the UK Government funded Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) 7 Million Pounds RECIRCULATE and the 800,000 Pounds ACTUATE Project and the projects progress so far in Africa.

2. To explore the challenges and opportunities for the ‘effective communication of research’ in Africa.

3. To celebrate the achievements and successes of different young Africans who have been impacted by the capacity building and communication strategy elements of the projects.

4. To provide an opportunity for further engagement with current and new stakeholders in different African countries for future collaborations, investments and development work.

Brief Programme

11.00 – 11.10 Introduction of Participants/Stakeholders (Moderated by Dr. Akan Odon Lancaster University, UK)

11.10 – 11.20 Introduction to RECIRCULATE/ACTUATE (Prof Kirk Semple, Lancaster University, UK)

11.20 – 11.35 The fundamentals of writing Policy Briefs for government - Dr Nicholas Ozor, Executive Director, African Technology Policy Studies Network)

11.35 – 11.50 Communicating research with local communities – Dr Manoj Roy, RECIRCULATE Health and Sanitation Co-lead.

11.50 – 12.00 Stakeholder Interaction (some questions on mentimeter)

12.00 – 12.15 Producing a research documentary for impact – Ugochi Oluigbo, Founder Green Angle TV

12.15 – 12.30 Communicating research through creative media - broadcasting – Mrs Peggy Ama Donkor Manager Ghana Broadcasting Corporation

12.30 -12.40 Stakeholder Interaction (some questions on mentimeter)

12.40 – 12.55 Sharing experiences from the FLOW Publication – Prof Nigel Paul, Editor-In -Chief, The FLOW, Lancaster University

12.45 – 13.00 Conclusion/Wrap Up

PARTICIPATE WITH RECIRCULATE - International Research Communication Webinar