As part of a project to find the best ways of reviewing the University’s Africa-facing collaborations, on 2nd May we held the first of two hybrid workshops to gather learning from a range of research partners.
The workshop was a great success in terms of creating a space for a deeper reflection on the Africa Charter within the University of Bristol research community. We shared preliminary reflexive insights about how GCRF-funded projects (CONNECTED and TESF), attempted to redress power imbalances in their operations and the different mechanisms the projects adopted to solve structural and operational challenges.
The workshop also included summarised feedback from Africa-based partners involved in the two projects about how the projects addressed issues of power imbalances in the specific research collaborations vis-a-vis the principles of the Africa Charter.
Another key aspect of the workshop was the opportunity to look into the various layers of power imbalances the Africa Charter identified in a small group of workshop participants from different academic disciplines and roles in research activities. The discussions allowed the participants to share their perspectives on how the layers of power imbalances are manifested or not in different fields of study and the mechanisms of redressing them.
This year-long project ultimately aims to help benchmark future University of Bristol collaborations in line with the Africa Charter. Visit the project website
