PASGR Co-hosts 18th Africa Young Graduates and Scholars (AYGS) Conference in Nairobi, Kenya

PASGR continues to focus on fostering strategic partnerships to enhance our commitment to excellence in public policy research in Africa. This deliberate effort aligns with our development of the strategic objectives. Recently, we joined the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and other strategic partners as a co-host of the 18th Africa Young Graduates and Scholars (AYGS) conference in Nairobi. With the theme “Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA) Implementation: Towards Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development in Africa,” this two-day event brought together young scholars from across the continent, to share research-based knowledge and experiences related to the development challenges faced by Africa. This is an initiative of the HSRC’s Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA) that creates a safe platform for young scholars to share their research evidence and follows a rigorous selection process to identify quality and relevant pieces of evidence. This year’s conference was preceded by a series of online masterclasses aimed at providing the scholars with a deeper understanding of the AYGS Conference’s main theme.

This annual event provided participants with the opportunity to explore how Africa can achieve inclusivity and sustainable development through AfCFTA. The young scholars showcased their research evidence on the potential of AfCFTA to drive growth and sustainability in Africa, in line with the aspirations and goals of the AU Agenda 2063 and UN Agenda 2030.

In her opening remarks, our Acting Executive Director Dr Pauline Ngimwa emphasized the transformative power of education and mentorship in shaping research careers of the next generation of policy researchers. She underscored PASGR’s deliberate efforts in developing these scholars through the two flagship gradute programmes that are delivered collaboratively with African universities, i.e. the Master of Research and Public Policy (MRPP) and the Doctoral in Public Policy (DPP). Dr Ngimwa highlighted how these two Programmes continue to nurture talent and harness the energy, creativity, and ingenuity of young scholars on the continent. She shared the example of Dr Jonathan Tumbweza, a young scholar and our first DPP graduate from the University of Pretoria. Despite graduating just a few months ago, Dr Tumbweza is already heavily involved in research and policy work in his home country of Uganda, contributing significantly in developing policy and research agenda in  non-state sectors such as the mainstream Church of Uganda, including securing seed grants for implementation of various research projects.

The highlight of this conference was the recognition of our Doctoral student from our partner, the University of Nairobi, Ms Munyiva Mutinda, who emerged as the overall best presenter for her paper titled “Gender Equality and Trade Policy for Sustainable Development in Kenya” under the theme; “Strengthening governance, peace, and regional integration for AfCFTA implementation”. This achievement adds to the success of our network, as last year, another student from our network also received this prestigious recognition. These achievements underscore PASGR’s strong commitment towards developing quality graduates for the advancement of research excellence in public policy and governance.

Of special mention is PASGR’s impactful work in nurturing early and mid-career researchers, which is now yielding significant dividends. Past alumni of our PASGR Methods Institute continue to make remarkable contributions in their respective fields of influence. It is noteworthy that the event coincidentally brought together past alumni who played key roles as session conveners and mentors, further emphasizing the enduring impact of our network. Other distinguished speakers at the event included His Excellency Mr. Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu, High Commissioner of South Africa to Kenya; Prof Sarah Mosoetsa, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HSRC; Dr Palesa Sekhejane, Acting Executive Head of AISA; and Mr. Luvuyo Ndimeni, Chief Director of African Union (AU) – Global Governance and Continental Agenda, among other panelists of distinction.  Read the concept note here.