King's College London

The African Leadership Centre (ALC) continues to strengthen its global partnerships and demonstrate its commitment to sharing learning and expertise on global challenges. The result has seen an exchange of knowledge and human resources at both the student and researcher levels.

Somaliland

Representatives from the Somaliland government joined UN agencies, international organisations, local NGOs and students to discuss mine clearance at a conference co-hosted by the ALC and the HALO Trust.

During the event in Hargeisa, delegates learned about new technology and good practice in research partnerships and Dr Eka Ikpe and Dr Sarah Njeri of the ALC also shared early research findings around the economic significance of mine clearance. They outlined how it has enabled new infrastructure such as roads, ports and airports but has also brought complex challenges around land, trust and environmental issues.

The workshop was a valuable opportunity to validate and share their research findings for critical reflection and comment. The team also received positive feedback from attendees about their meaningful engagement with partner colleagues in Somaliland.

Ethiopia

The ALC kicked off the first meeting as part of the BRI Leadership Education Network with a visit to Debre Berhan University in Ethiopia. Dr Barney Walsh of the ALC joined Zekarias Beshah and Honelign Mekonnen, along with several other colleagues at Debre Berhan, to discuss facilities and student exchange opportunities. 

The BRI Leadership Education Network, formally known as the 'Universities Network on Global Leadership, Peace and Development: Creating Educational and Societal Transformation', brings together the ALC and Peking University with eight African partner universities, with funding from the UK-China-Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Countries Education Partnership Initiative. 

The project seeks to utilise and adapt the ALC’s unique leadership training programmes and develop transferrable and scale-able master's-level global leadership modules via online and blended learning in collaboration with all partners.

Kenya

The ALC met with partner organisation, the Institute of Development (IDS), University of Nairobi to review its joint educational and research initiative. Professor Funmi Olonisakin of the ALC joined executive members of the IDS to discuss past and future activities.

The meeting was an opportunity to celebrate past achievements, such as the annual undergraduate summer programme, the joint-doctoral training programme and the newly established Erasmus-funded student and faculty exchange programme.

The meeting also outlined several future initiatives such as co-developing and delivering joint postgraduate degree programmes and a joint retreat (to further deliberate on developing a joint research agenda).

Meanwhile, 35 Early Career Researchers from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Sudan came together for a workshop co-hosted by the ALC. The attendees received training and support to develop and enhance their capacity to prepare successful research grant proposals, write for international publications and deliver collaborative interdisciplinary work.

Professor Olonisakin delivered the ALC’s findings on knowledge production on peace and security in Africa, including a passionate narration of her own observations of the way peace and security in Africa has emerged and progressed, and are now being reproduced in the global north.

The 2-day workshop was part of the ALC's commitment to increase the uptake of peace and security-related journal articles by early career scholars, especially by women based in the Eastern African region.

The workshop, held at the Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations (HIPSIR), was funded by the British Academy Writing Workshop scheme.