Deadline: 11 January 2011
18-19 August 2011, University for Development Studies, Ghana
Theme:
Endogenous Knowledge, Education and Research as a Challenge to Higher Education and Development in Africa: Theoretical Perspectives, Pragmatic Responses, Practical Challenges
Venue:
UDS International Conference Centre, Tamale, Ghana
Preamble
The Capacity and Theory-Building of Universities and Research Centres in Endogenous Development (CAPTURED) Project is an innovative effort that seeks to promote development, research and education from local perspectives. It is premised on the belief that development as a growth process should start from and build on the perspectives of local populations in order for it to respond effectively and realistically to their needs and realities. Ongoing search for development and aid effectiveness and efficiency, which have resulted in alternatives such as sustainable development and participatory development, are indicative of the inadequacy of development plans, programmes processes imposed from elsewhere.
Consequently, the Endogenous Development (ED) paradigm draws from positions that centre local perspectives, people’s worldviews and indigenous knowledge as the bases for initiating and negotiating development. Although contrasted with exogenous development, the endogenous development position does not condemn exogenously-informed development processes outright. Rather, it argues that such efforts would be more effective and efficient when anchored on solid local perspectives, people’s worldviews and indigenous knowledge. Hence, the ED framework draws and works from indigenous knowledge, traditional institutions and local worldviews as well as internally motivated actions as bases for seeking external support for the analysis and evolution of development plans/policies, programmes and projects.
As institutions of higher learning, universities and research centres provide not just specialized human resources but also the policy and programming technologies, leadership and frameworks for driving national and global development. Universities educate and provide research inputs that shape and drive planning and programming in development. The CAPTURED Project has been strategically located within higher education and research institutions with the view to building the critical mass of people who would lead knowledge productions, educational processes and innovative research that would influence policy and programmes in higher education and national development.
The 2011 African Regional Conference is the 2nd of two conferences that have been planned to share experiences and influence development thinking in Africa. This second conference, following the first in 2009, seeks to generate critical debates, share innovative responses and build alliances among African academics, educators, researchers and development practitioners committed to locally relevant knowledge, education and research for the development of Africa. It also welcomes
others outside that space but who are interested in Endogenous Knowledge, Education and Research in higher education in Africa. The outputs of the conference, in the form of invited and thematic papers, will be peer reviewed and published in the proceedings of the CAPTURED Africa Project.
The two-day conference will focus on the following:
Thematic Areas
1. Conceptual/theoretical foundations, debates, frameworks, models and possibilities for Endogenous Knowledge, Education and Research in African Higher Education
2. Innovative programming frameworks and methodological responses in Higher Education including research ethics and policies, educational policies, curriculum processes and forms, research and development, actual and possibilities
3. Endogenous Knowledge, Education and Research experiences and processes linking Higher Education and communities, nation states, regional bodies; Higher Education and policy, programmes and governance and ; Higher Education and commerce, industry etc
4. Prospects, potentials and challenges of Endogenous Knowledge, Education and Research for North-South, South-South and inter- and intra-University collaborations in Higher Education in the areas of teaching and learning, curriculum development, methodologies, research and dissemination, student exchange and staff development in Africa and beyond
5. Political and Policy Implications of Endogenous Knowledge, Education and Research for the development of Africa.
Submissions are welcomed in any of the thematic areas. Interested persons should first submit a 300-word abstract detailing title, main thesis/arguments/issues, methodology/strategy and conclusion. When accepted, authors will be required to submit the full papers within three (3) months.
Important Deadlines
- November 10: Announcement of Call for Papers
- January 11: Deadline for Submission of abstracts
- February 11: Communication of accepted abstracts
- April 11: Deadline for receipt of Full Papers of accepted abstracts
Logistics
Provisions will be made for the air travel of presenting participants living and working in Africa but outside Ghana only. In addition, there will be accommodation and food/ snacks for all registered and/or presenting participants during the conference period.
Contacts
All inquires and submissions should be addressed to:
Mail post:
CAPTURED UDS Project
University for Development Studies
P. O. Box 520
Wa, Upper West Region
GHANA
Email: awingura2008-at-yahoo.com
Phone: 233(0)244-581725