AfricaLics

The 11th AfricaLics Ph.D. Academy on Innovation and Competence Building Systems
2025-07-22 - 2025-07-24 | Online
Hosted by University of Johannesburg and EthiopiaLics
The AfricaLics network is an academic research and capacity building network that focuses on how innovation occurs, the process through which new or improved products, processes, organizational forms, ways of working and acting are introduced into new environments, and the relationship this has with economic and social development in African countries. As it sits at the intersection of innovation studies and development studies, such research is becoming known in the network as ‘innovation and development studies.’
The 11th AfricaLics PhD Academy offers a unique chance for PhD students (and a small number of master’s students) currently pursuing their studies at African universities and focusing on innovation and development studies. This opportunity allows them to enhance their understanding of this growing field, engage with prominent academics in the discipline, and obtain valuable feedback on their continuing research journey.
In collaboration with the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, and EthiopiaLics, the 11th AfricaLics PhD Academy is set to take place as a virtual event. Participants will have the opportunity to connect with experts and peers in the field of innovation and development studies, through an online format.
This is a Call for students enrolled in a PhD at an African university who work in the field of innovation and development studies to apply to participate in this one-week event. The Call is also relevant for master students and/or those who already hold a master’s degree and are considering enrolling as a PhD student in the field of innovation and development studies. Preference will be given to PhD students applicants.
Innovation and Development studies
The AfricaLics network was established in 2012 in response to a growing recognition of the need for more support for academic ’research on innovation’ that was relevant to African countries’ contextual environments. This expanding body of work by African scholars is critical to ensuring that ‘research in innovation’ (i.e., the research and development of specific inventions that can help solve practical problems), on which most innovation policy and funding attention is focused, can be effectively supported. The concept of ‘research on innovation’ focuses on innovation processes, what fosters innovation, and what may aid in the acceptance and adoption of new solutions. It is particularly interested in determining the impact of innovation on African countries’ social and economic development. It addresses these issues at the firm, network, and collaboration levels, as well as the national, continental, and global levels. As a result, the work of scholars in the AfricaLics network is multidisciplinary, straddling the established academic fields of innovation studies and development studies.
This multidisciplinary field includes researchers from various disciplines who frequently study innovation studies, the economics of innovation, innovation management, technology management, science and technology studies, and so on. However, members of the network come from a variety of disciplines, including economics, political science and engineering.
Who is eligible to apply?
This online academy is primarily aimed at PhD students, in their second and third years, working in innovation and development studies and who are principally interested in how innovation relates to economic and social development in Africa.
The Academy will host around 20-25 students from Africa and a handful of students from the rest of the world who study innovation and development issues facing the African countries.
PhD students
PhD students who wish to participate will need to fulfill the following requirements:

Must be a registered student in an African university and be at least in the beginning of his/her second year at the time of the academy
work explicitly on issues related to policy-oriented analysis of science, technology and innovation
be able to present an original paper reflecting his/her research and/or thesis work that fits within the thematic areas of the AfricaLics network. The thematic areas of AfricaLics are available here – https://africalics.org/thematic-areas/.

Master’s students
Master’s degree students who wish to participate will need to fulfil the following requirements:

be a registered student in an African university on a Master’s degree programme in the area of innovation and development studies, economics, business or management studies, sociology or development studies or similar
have a Masters project that focuses on an aspect of innovation studies (i.e. innovation management, innovation systems, science, technology and innovation policy).

Those with master’s degrees considering a PhD
For students with a Master’s degree in a relevant field and in the process of developing a PhD related to innovation and development studies, you will need:

A letter of support from the university you have been discussing with, on the possibility of a PhD related to innovation and development studies or a confirmed letter of acceptance or pre-registration on a relevant PhD programme
An outline of your PhD ideas

To improve diversity in the emerging academic community on innovation and development studies research in Africa, we encourage female scholars and those from low-income countries to apply.
If you are in doubt as to whether you can apply, please contact us through the email address at the bottom of the call.
Design of the Academy
The Academy will take place online using Zoom every day from Monday 2nd to Friday 6th June inclusive. The Academy format takes the form of three sessions split across each day with breaks in between. Participants are expected to be active throughout and to keep their cameras on if bandwidth allows.
During the Academy frontier researchers in the field of innovation and development from around the world provide lectures and mentor students. The Academy also provides opportunities for PhD students to share their work and learn new skills. As such, the Academy is made up of the following activities:

Lectures by senior researchers on areas ranging from research methodologies to the latest theories and empirical research in the fields of innovation, innovation management and science policy.
Presentations by doctoral students of their work with feedback from the senior scholars facilitating at the event and peer feedback from one participating PhD student.
Sessions focused on enabling interaction between students, practitioners and policy makers on innovation and development issues and consideration of how to make research more policy relevant.
Sessions that focus on key skills that students need to complete their PhD and become successful academic researchers such as publishing or project management skills.
A focus on research methods core to the field of innovation and development studies. For example, the last academy had a mini-workshop focused on systematic literature review while earlier academies focused on the latest data extraction and analysis techniques.

How to apply
Please send the following documents to the AfricaLics Secretariat (phd-academy@africalics.org) on or before 23:00 hours East Africa time on Thursday 8th May 2025. For those who are studying in French, the application documents can be submitted in French.

Registered PhD students
Registered Master’s students
Those with Master’s degrees considering a PhD

1. An extended abstract of their PhD thesis of not more than 5 pages
1. An extended abstract of their Masters project of not more than 2 pages
1. No more than 2-page description of your proposed PhD project

2. A recommendation letter from your PhD supervisor
2. A recommendation letter from your Master’s supervisor
2. A recommendation letter from the university you are currently discussing your PhD

3. A cover letter including motivation for inclusion in the Academy
4. A copy of the applicant’s CV

Format of abstracts and project descriptions
Abstracts and project descriptions should be typed double-spaced in French or in English with font size 12. The abstract must include the following sections:

Background and literature review
The research objectives or research questions
Methodology including data collection and analysis techniques to be used
Expected contribution to academia and policy discussions
References.

Please also make it clear in your application if you are preparing a thesis by publication or manuscript/ monograph thesis.
Please note that if you submit an abstract longer than the indicated page length, the reviewers are under no obligation to review more than the first 5 pages (of a PhD abstract) and 2 pages (of a Masters abstract).
Selection
All extended abstracts will be reviewed by at least two senior scholars from a review panel made up of members of the AfricaLics Scientific Board, AfricaLics Secretariat and University of Johannesburg. Selection will be made based on the academic quality of extended abstracts as well as on the basis of criteria aimed at promoting diversity (by location, gender etc).
Final paper upload and confirmation of attendance
All successful applicants will be expected to have confirmed their participation by 23:00 hours East Africa time (EAT) on Friday 23rd May 2025 or their place will be given to someone else. We recommend that all applicants pencil in the dates of the event in their diaries as soon as they apply as there is very little time between notification of acceptance and the first week of the event.
All selected participants who confirm attendance will also be expected to upload a final full paper (details of this will be given in your acceptance letter) by 23:00 hours East Africa time on Friday 30th May 2025. The full paper should be a full project proposal (for Masters students) or a chapter of your thesis that you would like to present and get feedback on during the Academy (for PhD students).
Organisation and support
The 11th AfricaLics Ph.D. Academy is jointly organized by the University of Johannesburg and Adama University of Science and Technology (ASTU, host of EthiopiaLics), with support from the AfricaLics Secretariat hosted at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), Kenya. The Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) is supporting the AfricaLics secretariat to manage the PhD Academy planning and execution process.
The PhD organising planning committee for the 2025 AfricaLics PhD Academy is led by Prof. Rebecca Hanlin, Professor of Innovation and Sustainable Development, University of Johannesburg. The organisation of the 2025 Academy at the AfricaLics Secretariat level is being managed by Dr. Margrethe Holm Andersen and Ms Mourine Chepkemoi.
More information
If you require more information or have questions, please email the AfricaLics Secretariat on phd-academy@africalics.org

Call for Applications - 12th AfricaLics PhD Academy
2026-11-02 - 2026-11-12
** Submission deadline extended to 1st May 2026**
The 12th AfricaLics Ph.D. Academy on Innovation and Competence Building Systems will be held in Johannesburg, hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the AfricaLics Research Capacity Strengthening Project.

Call for applications
The AfricaLics network is an academic research and capacity-strengthening network that focuses on how innovation (the process through which new or improved products, processes, organisational forms, ways of working, and acting are introduced into new environments) occurs and the relationship this has with economic and social development in African countries. Such research is becoming known in the network as ‘innovation and development studies’ because it is at the intersection of innovation studies and development studies.
The 12th AfricaLics PhD Academy offers PhD students enrolled at African universities who work in the field of innovation and development studies the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of this burgeoning field, meet leading academics in the field, and receive feedback on their PhD studies.
The 12th AfricaLics PhD Academy will be held as an in-person event at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) campus in Johannesburg, South Africa. It will be held alongside the 7th AfricaLics Research Conference (https://africalicssouthafrica.witsevents.co.za/) scheduled for 10 – 12 November 2026.
This is a call for students enrolled in a PhD at an African university who work in the field of innovation and development studies to apply to participate in this residential PhD Academy event.
Innovation and development studies
The AfricaLics network was founded in 2012 due to a growing recognition of the need for more support for academic ‘research on innovation’ that had relevance to the contextual environments of African countries. This burgeoning body of work by African scholars is essential to ensure ‘research in innovation’ (i.e., research and development of specific inventions that can help solve practical problems), where most innovation policy and funding attention is focused, can be effectively supported. The concept of ‘research on innovation’ focuses on innovation processes, what fosters innovation and on what may help new solutions get accepted and adopted. It is particularly interested in understanding the impact of innovation on the social and economic development of African countries. It considers these issues at the level of firms, networks, and collaborations as well as at the national, continental, and global levels. As such the work of scholars in the AfricaLics network is multidisciplinary being at the intersection of the established academic fields of innovation studies and development studies.
This multidisciplinary field includes researchers from a range of disciplines often studying innovation studies, the economics of innovation, innovation management, technology management, science and technology studies. However, the network also includes those from other more disciplinary fields such as engineering, economics and political science.
Who is eligible to apply?
PhD students working in innovation and development studies and who are principally interested in how innovation relates to economic and social development in Africa are the main target group for the PhD Academy.
The Academy will host approximately 20-25 students from Africa and a handful of students from other parts of the world.
Specifically, PhD students who wish to participate will need to fulfil the following requirements:

work explicitly on issues related to policy-oriented analysis of science, technology and innovation
be able to present an original paper reflecting his/her research and/or thesis work that fits within the thematic areas of the AfricaLics network
preferably be at least at the beginning of his/her second year at the time of the academy (a small number of first-year PhD students may be accepted)

If you are in doubt as to whether you can apply, please contact us using the email address at the bottom of the call.
We will have a limited number of places available to master’s students studying in South Africa. These selected students will be granted observer status i.e. can attend but will not present their work.
Master degree students who wish to participate will need to fulfil the following requirements:

be a registered Masters student in a South African university on a degree programme in the area of economics, business or management studies, sociology or development studies or similar
have a Masters project that will focus on an aspect of innovation studies (i.e. innovation management or innovation systems)

To improve diversity in the emerging academic community on innovation and development studies research in Africa, we encourage female scholars and those from low-income countries to apply.
Design of the Academy
The Academy will invite frontier researchers in innovation and development from around the world to deliver lectures and mentor students. The Academy also provides opportunities for PhD students to share their work and learn new skills. As such, the Academy is made up of the following activities:

Lectures by senior researchers on areas ranging from research methodologies to the latest theories and empirical research in the fields of innovation, innovation management and science policy.
Presentations by doctoral students of their work with feedback from the senior scholars facilitating at the event.
Sessions focused on enabling interaction between students, practitioners and policy makers on innovation and development issues
Study visits to innovation hubs, innovative businesses and/or similar organisations
Sessions that focus on key skills that students need to complete their PhD and become successful academic researchers such as publishing or project management skills
A practical project that helps students think through how to ensure their PhD project is addressing developmental issues and how to ensure results will be articulated to relevant policy and practitioner stakeholders.
A two-day supervision workshop focusing on topics such as what good supervision looks like, the student-supervisor relationship and key tools for the PhD journey (planning, good work habits and how to deal with feedback).

The Academy’s language of instruction will be English. We will not be able to provide translation services. A good level of spoken and written English will be required by students accepted into this Academy.
An overview of the likely programme for the Academy is provided in Appendix 1.
How to apply
PhD students who apply must submit an extended abstract of their PhD thesis, not exceeding five (5) pages.
Master’s students who apply must submit an extended abstract of their Master’s project, not exceeding two (2) pages.
The abstract must be submitted together with a covering letter, the applicant’s CV, and a recommendation letter from the applicant’s principal PhD/ Master’s supervisor or a senior scholar who is familiar with the applicant’s work.
These documents should be sent to the AfricaLics Secretariat (phd-academy@africalics.org) on or before 23:00 hours East Africa time on Friday, 1st May 2026.
Format of abstracts
Abstracts should be typed double-spaced in English with font size 12. The abstract must include the following sections:

Background and literature review
The research objectives or research questions
Methodology including the data collection and analysis techniques to be used,
Expected contribution to academia and policy discussions.
References

Please also make it clear in your application if you are preparing a thesis by publication or manuscript/ monograph thesis.
Selection
All extended abstracts will be reviewed by at least two senior scholars from a review panel comprising members of the AfricaLics Scientific Board, the AfricaLics Secretariat, the AfricaLics RCS team, and the host University.
Selection will be made based on the academic quality of extended abstracts as well as on the basis of criteria aimed at promoting diversity (by location, gender, etc.). Selection criteria for AfricaLics events are published on the AfricaLics website: http://www.africalics.org/selection-criteria/
Successful applicants will be notified by 15th May 2026 of their acceptance to the Academy.
Sponsorship and travel support
Successfully selected participants will be expected to arrive on Sunday 01 November 2026 and leave on the night of Thursday 12 November 2026. The airport to arrive and depart from is OR Tambo International Airport. Airport shuttle arrangements will be made by the organisers.
The AfricaLics Research Capacity Strengthening (RCS) project will cover the cost of 11 nights of accommodation, on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis, during the Academy for accepted PhD students. No daily subsistence allowance or stipend is provided but lunch and 2 refreshment breaks will be provided during the academy. Students should be expected to bring sufficient funds with them to cover the cost of any sightseeing and lunch on Sunday, 08 November.
The AfricaLics RCS project also has funding to cover the costs of economy-class return airfares for those attending who are registered at an African university based in a country classified by the OECD as ‘least developed’, ‘low income’ or ‘low middle income’, and who will be attending from outside South Africa.
If you are interested in applying for this travel support, please indicate as such in your cover letter and ensure that your cover letter and the support letter from your supervisor indicate how you have tried to find alternative sources of funding for your trip In addition, such applicants must indicate that they have (a) tried to source funding from elsewhere and (b) have been unable to source alternative funding. Only those from African countries classified by OECD as least developed, low or low-middle-income can apply for this travel support. These applicants will be asked to complete a travel support request form. Details of this process will be made available once an applicant has received confirmation of their acceptance at the academy. Acceptance at the academy does not automatically guarantee financial support to cover the cost of your air ticket. If financial support is given to cover the cost of an air ticket, the amount of support awarded may not cover the whole cost of the air ticket. No support is provided for ancillary costs associated with your travel e.g. visa costs, other transport costs. Please note that travel support is provided on a reimbursement basis only, except in exceptional circumstances. Please see AfricaLics travel support policy here: https://africalics.org/travel-support/
All accepted applicants will be responsible for their own visa and travel insurance arrangements, including the cost of these.
Confirmation of attendance and final paper upload
All successful applicants are expected to confirm their participation by 23:00 hours East African Time on Tuesday, 1st September 2026; otherwise, their place will be offered to another applicant.
All selected participants who confirm attendance will also be expected to upload a final FULL paper (details of this will be given in your acceptance letter) by 23:00 hours East African time on Monday, 5th October 2026. The full paper should be a full project proposal (for Master’s students) or a chapter of, or paper from, your thesis that you would like to present and get feedback on during the Academy (for PhD students).
Organisation and support
The 12th AfricaLics Ph.D. Academy is organised by Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa with support from the AfricaLics RCS project hosted at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), Kenya. The event is financially supported by Wits University, the AfricaLics network, and Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency).
The local organising committee at Wits University is led by: Prof. Geci Karuri-Sabina. Day-to-day organisation of the Academy at Wits University is the responsibility of Dr Amy Matua. Organisation of the Academy at the AfricaLics RCS project is being managed by Prof. Rebecca Hanlin.

Contacts
For any queries or questions about the academy contact: rebeccah@uj.ac.za
For general queries about Wits University: amy.mutua@wits.ac.za
For general queries about the AfricaLics RCS project: RCS@africalics.org
For general queries about AfricaLics: secretariat@africalics.org
