• Discussion Series

International Research Collaboration between the Global North and Global South

12 December 2024 & 15 January 2025
College for Social Sciences and Humanities, Essen

This series of dialogue events focuses on the role of culture and interculturality in international research collaborations between the Global North and Global South. How do European and African researchers understand science and academic knowledge production?

collage of symbolic images

Researchers from African and European contexts face academic, epistemic, and methodological differences and different cultural values when participating in International Research Collaborations (IRCs). How do they navigate and negotiate these differences to collaborate towards the common goal of generating new knowledge and advancing scientific discovery? This series of discussions focuses on the role of culture and interculturality in research collaborations between the Global North and South.

In interviews and a panel discussion, Prof. Patrício Langa, a professor of higher education studies and currently a Senior Fellow at the College, will talk with different internationally experienced scholars from Sub-Saharan African countries and Germany about their views, specifically focussing on the following aspects:

  • How do German and African researchers engaging in IRCs understand science and knowledge production? Does ‘culture’ play any (significant) role in their views?
  • What views of science and knowledge production prevail in intercultural IRCs, particularly in the context of a rising quest for decolonisation of academia?
  • Has engaging in IRCs effected a change in perspective?
  • What roles and functions do German and African researchers assume in IRCs?

The discussions form part of a larger research project which aims not only to enhance the understanding of how academic knowledge is produced across different cultures but also to foster more effective and inclusive research practices in international contexts. It also addresses the question of what is essential for effective (inter)cultural studies within the realm of science.

The discussions will be recorded and form part of a documentary video.

The College particularly invites researchers, doctoral students and Master’s students who are engaged in international collaboration to participate in the event series.

Dialogue Event 2

Panel Discussion:
Making Sense of German-African International Research Collaborations

Wednesday, 15 January 2025, 14:00–16:00

Invited Panellists (tbc.)
  • Prof. David Kaldewey, University of Bonn
    Professor for Science Studies and Science Policy & co-spokesperson of the Rhine Ruhr Center for Science Communication Research (RRC)
  • Dr Kathrin Knodel, German Research Foundation (DFG)
    Programme Officer, International Affairs
  • Prof. Elísio Macamo, University of Basel (Switzerland)
    Professor of Sociology and African Studies
  • Prof. Zintombizethu (Zethu) Matebeni, University of Fort Hare (South Africa)
    South Africa Research Chair in Sexualities, Genders and Queer Studies of the National Research Foundation (NRF) 
    & Senior Fellow at the College for Social Sciences and Humanities (winter 2024/25)
  • Dr Leonie Schoelen, University of Johannesburg (South Africa)
    Research Associate, Faculty of Humanities
  • Prof. Foluke O. Unuabonah, Redeemer’s University, Ede (Nigeria)
    Professor of English Linguistics & Senior Fellow at the College for Social Sciences and Humanities (winter 2024/25)
Convener
  • Prof. Patrício Langa, Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique)
    Professor of Sociology, Higher Education, and Science Policy Studies
    & Senior Fellow at the College for Social Sciences and Humanities (winter 2024/25)

Registration

Dialogue Event 1

Thursday, 12 December 2024, 11:0013:00

Dialogue Partner

Location

College for Social Sciences and Humanities, Essen

address and directions

Organisation

Prof. Patrício V. Langa

Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique) | Sociology, Comparative Higher Education, Science and Policy Studies

E-mail:

Patrício Langa is a sociologist and Professor of Comparative Higher Education, Policy, and Innovation Studies at Eduardo Mondlane University (U.E.M.), Mozambique, where he formally advised the Rector on strategic planning. Langa has been a research fellow and visiting higher education and science studies professor at the Forum Internationale Wissenschaft, University of Bonn, Germany, and the Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He also collaborates with the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (Sweden), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (USA) and Autonomous University of Lisbon (Portugal), and formerly collaborated with the Danube University Krems (Austria).

Professor Langa served as the first executive director for external evaluation in the National Council on Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Mozambique (CNAQ), and continues to serve on the board of non-executive directors. He is the founding president of the Mozambican Sociological Association (A.M.S.). and established the African Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (ACHER).

Patrício Langa holds a BA in Social Sciences, a BA Hons in Sociology from U.E.M., a MEd in Higher Education Studies and a PhD in Sociology and Education from the University of Cape Town. His research interest is in the intersection of sociology, higher education and science studies.

Tandem Partner

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Prof. Liudvika Leišytė

TU Dortmund University | Higher Education Research

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