Paper short abstract:

This presentation discusses my PhD study experiences that commenced in the UK and eventually concluded in Germany. I try to trace the challenges and support through this journey from an early career African academic perspective.

Paper long abstract:

Over the last few years, the presence of PhD candidates of African descent in German universities has become a visible reality. Nevertheless, the recruitment of PhD candidates of African descent and subsequent employment, where possible, create several personal and institutional challenges, even when academic diversity is promoted. On one hand there is a positive effort to promote and encourage academic diversity on the other hand academics of African descent are expected to fit a certain mould. This presentation compares some of the positive as well as negative lessons that I have learned while pursuing a PhD degree in German and UK institutions. I started my PhD in the UK and a year later, I transferred to Germany. The transfer from UK to a German university was a positive one. However, the process also brought with it some personal challenges in particular in the German context where academic hierarchies are well defined. Though stemming from a personal, and contextually based, the lessons derived from my experience may resonate with others elsewhere and thus offer a good basis to help address some of the obstacles.

Paper short abstract:

The presentation reflects daily experiences of discrimination and inequality faced by diaspora early career experts in knowledge co-production in complex science policy space. The presentation seeks to only provide personal experience to a topic that is mostly not discussed.

Paper long abstract:

African Diaspora Academics in Europe contribute to Europe socio-economic

development as well in their countries of origin scholarly and policy institutions. Their

partial integration in academia as scientists as well as in policy making processes

cannot be overemphasized in the European knowledge economy.

Although available evidence suggests that the intellectual Diaspora in Europe serve as

a powerful force to recon with in Europe and Africa, there are numerous obstacles they

face in their excellent scientific endeavours.

The presentation reflects daily experiences of discrimination and inequality faced by

diaspora early career experts in knowledge co-production in complex science policy

space. These experiences can occur in academic institutions. Occurrence of different

forms of discrimination in social domains, such as public spaces, airports, restaurants,

super markets, neighbourhoods and online negatively affect African diaspora experts'

academic outputs with associated negative emotional and psychological stresses.

The presentation seeks to only provide personal experience to a topic that is mostly

not discussed in science policy space and suggests further academic research by

diasporan experts in academic institutions.

Paper short abstract:

In this paper four female PhD African researchers studying in the Netherlands grapple with constituting themselves as ‘expert’ or capable researchers in a context where the global economy of knowledge continues to feed from global coloniality. What does decolonising knowledge production mean?

Paper long abstract:

For starters is it a bad thing to be focusing on problems particularly given that this has been the trajectory for many African countries? Are African scholars able to think outside of the colonial experience when this history is indelibly printed on the collective memory? These questions draw from the widely criticized disproportionate inclination towards problems, or crisis-oriented research projects undergirding the African scholarship. This results from the pervasiveness of consultancy research characterizing the post-colonial ‘era of aid’ in Africa which aims to speak directly to policy. This no doubt hinders more critical, theoretical and curiosity driven research and consequently perpetuates the historical and contemporary asymmetries in knowledge production within the global economy as some scholars have aptly pointed out that ‘consultancy research' is inherently inferior to ‘basic anthropological research’. This in turn has resulted in the continued subordination of African scholars and their continued struggle in constituting themselves

as research ‘experts’ beyond their usually symbolic role as ‘local experts’. In this paper four female PhD researchers of African descent studying in the Netherlands grapple with these questions as they try to constitute themselves as ‘expert’ or capable researchers in a context where the global economy of knowledge continues to feed from global coloniality. The paper feeds into the current calls on decolonization of knowledge particularly within institutes of higher learning through calling to question the old power relations that continue to perpetuate

knowledge inequalities between global north and global south.