What is the optimum “ecosystem” for African research institutions to work with, in and for their communities?

African scholars and policy makers have consistently argued for the need to develop strong local institutions to address the everyday struggles of poor citizens – the primary targets of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Research organisations form a key element of these “strong local institutions”, meaning that communities must therefore be the ultimate targets of the ‘smart solutions’ we aspire to develop through this work package.

The core research question for this work package is “what is the optimum “ecosystem” for African research institutions to work with, in and for their communities?” Under this overall question, we will investigate:

  • How to grow innovation capacity and entrepreneurial capabilities (the entrepreneurial ecosystem) to shape the design, development and exploitation of high quality science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) research for sustainable development by delivering eco-innovative solutions.
  • Investigate who the key innovators and “change makers” are in different African communities.
  • Research if models focussed on small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs), successful in the UK, translate to an African context or are other/additional foci required? The co-creation of appropriate scalable programmes will contribute to international research in to knowledge transfer and exchange and provide a platform for dissemination to improve community-research interactions.

This main research objective can be narrowed down in three specific objectives:

  • To co-create appropriate scalable programmes that will contribute to international research and knowledge exchange initiatives (e.g. SETS training the trainers workshop, replicable in Nigeria);
  • To provide a platform for dissemination to improve community-research interactions (e.g. Networks WINA; SETA; FITA);
  • To build capacity in working with, in and for communities (e.g. Long term engagement during residencies periods in the UK).

WP1 Updates

  • How was it for you?
    How was it for you?

    As the RECIRCULATE project comes to the end of its 4.5 year funded period, we asked those who joined us for the most recent [...]

    Published On: April 21, 2022Categories: News, WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5
  • Healthy writing retreats: dare to enjoy your writing and joy will abound! Bear with me and try it out.
    Healthy writing retreats: dare to enjoy your writing and joy will abound! Bear with me and try it out.

    Dr Joana Pais Zozimo, a RECIRCULATE Senior Research Associate, reflects on the ongoing impact of healthy writing retreats, in her double capacity of qualified [...]

    Published On: January 31, 2022Categories: Blog, The Flow, WP1
  • RECIRCULATE early career researchers inspire
    RECIRCULATE early career researchers inspire

    Graduate researchers working with the RECIRCULATE Project, Afua Owusu-Kwarteng, Victoria Obatusin, Bhushan Gandhi and Eric Mensah recently took part in Eco-I NW's Bootcamp at Ribby Hall [...]

    Published On: November 30, 2021Categories: News, WP1, WP3, WP4
  • RECIRCULATE at COP26
    RECIRCULATE at COP26

    Through November 2021 members of our project have been involved with activities taking place at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) held at [...]

    Published On: November 30, 2021Categories: News, WP1, WP2, WP4
  • Spotlight interview: Afua Owusu-Kwarteng
    Spotlight interview: Afua Owusu-Kwarteng

    On 9th November 2021, RECIRCULATE Graduate Researcher and WINA Integrated Research Project Officer, Afua Owusu-Kwarteng attended the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (also [...]

    Published On: November 22, 2021Categories: Spotlight, The Flow, WP1
  • Engaged research – who benefits….and at what cost?
    Engaged research – who benefits….and at what cost?

    Dr Priscilla Otuo, a RECIRCULATE Researcher at Lancaster University Ghana, reflects on the challenges of engaged research. In the past few years, calls for [...]

    Published On: October 26, 2021Categories: The Flow, WP1
  • RECIRCULATE researcher presents at GHTM session
    RECIRCULATE researcher presents at GHTM session

    The RECIRCULATE "Entrepreneurship & Innovation" workpackage Senior Researcher Associate, Dr Joana Pais Zózimo, was invited to deliver a talk at the University Nova, Institute [...]

    Published On: October 4, 2021Categories: News, WP1
  • RECIRCULATE Annual Meeting 2021
    RECIRCULATE Annual Meeting 2021

    The RECIRCULATE/ACTUATE Annual Meeting for 2021 was held over 3 days in late September 2021. The Annual Meeting, originally intended to be hosted by the University of Benin [...]

    Published On: October 1, 2021Categories: News, WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5
  • Director promotes GCRF projects
    Director promotes GCRF projects

    Prof. Kirk Semple, Director of RECIRCULATE & ACTUATE, was invited to take part in BIO Africa Digital Convention 2021 on 23rd-24th August. This year`s [...]

    Published On: September 22, 2021Categories: News, WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5
  • What’s your goal?
    What’s your goal?

    The theme for our PARTICIPATE programme in June 2021 was the UN Sustainable Development Goals and so we took the opportunity to ask the [...]

    Published On: June 25, 2021Categories: KE, The Flow, WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4
  • International Sustainable Development Goals webinar
    International Sustainable Development Goals webinar

    In June 2021, the focus of our PARTICIPATE engagement was the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and more specifically how the project workpackages are addressing SDGs [...]

    Published On: June 24, 2021Categories: KE, News, WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4
  • RECIRCULATE’s place-based education informs new research
    RECIRCULATE’s place-based education informs new research

    Kathleen Burke, a RECIRCULATE network member and a graduate researcher at the House of Innovation within the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), alongside Erik [...]

    Published On: June 21, 2021Categories: News, WP1