University of Cambridge and the GCRO host writing workshop on urbanization in Africa

From 15-18 April 2024, participants of a British Academy-funded writing support programme met in in the cradle of humankind region of Gauteng for the main event of the two-year programme. The overall purpose of the programme is to support early career researchers to submit an article to a high impact journal. The theme of the programme is ‘Governing for Urban Inclusion’ and is jointly hosted by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory and the department of Geography, Cambridge University.

More than 80 applications were received in response to a call in mid-2023 and places were given to 31 participants and mentors. The workshop was preceded by a series of online preparatory meetings in small groups from September 2023-February 2024 to guide participants on the preparation of a first draft of their papers. Following peer and mentor feedback, participants then prepared a second draft of their papers ahead of the workshop, which were discussed in detail at the workshop. Participants are preparing to submit to a journal by the end of September 2024.

In addition to direct support on paper drafting, the programme has provided related support to participants including literature on the writing, the technique of reverse outlining, paragraph formation, discussions on the writing process and the emotional space of writing, correct attribution of sources, advise from journal editors and career advise. In addition the workshop contained a keynote presentation from Prof Jenny Robinson from the University College of London entitled ‘Can African urbanisation be a starting point for urban theory? Or, how to avoid the pitfalls of informality, global south and developmentalism’.

Mentors and participants travelled from Canada, the UK, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and across South Africa.