African Knowledge Exchange Research Competition 2012

Focus on ICT use in Skills Development for Innovation and Employment in Africa

  • Are you an African researcher looking at the role of technology in skills development for innovation and employment? 
  • Are you carrying out your research with a regional focus on Eastern and Southern Africa? 
  • If you are, we hope you will submit your research to GESCI’s AKE 2012 research competition before 21 October, 2012. 
  • You can download the abstract template here

 

Who can Apply

Researchers with:

• A completed research study at Master’s or Doctoral (PhD) level, or research carried out at equivalently high quality academic standard

• A research sutdy completed between 2009-2012

• A research study relevant to one or more of the following four themes which are described in detail further down:

1. The role of ICT and informal learning environments for innovation and employment
2. Innovation hubs and incuabtors as catalysts for learning and innovation
3. ICT enabled skills development and learning models in the knowledge society
4. Skills development for digital culture and creative industries

• A research study authored by an Eastern or Southern African citizen researcher, situated in the regional context and carried out under the auspices of a recognized research or university institution in Eastern and Southern Africa (joint publications are acceptable in cases where the African researcher is the lead researcher / principal investigator).

 

Timelines

• Abstract submission due date: 21 October, 2012
• Notification date initial shortlist: 29 October, 2012
• Research study submission due date (shortlisted applicants only): 4 November, 2012
• Notification date finalists: 12 November, 2012
• Award ceremony: December 2012 (exact date to be decided)

 

Prizes

  • The winning researcher will receive a monthly stipend of 2,000 Euros (inclusive of tax) for three months aimed to enable the researcher to transform the theoretical research into a practical project that could demonstrate visible change and be scaled as a regional or national mainstreaming intervention.

  • As support in turning the research into innovative practice, the winner will also receive mentorship from GESCI’s Senior Specialists during the three month period.

  • The winning researcher will also be presenting the research at the Africa Knowledge Exchange forum for policy makers from Eastern and Southern Africa in Nairobi, gaining considerable exposure to African and International stakeholders active in the field of ICT, innovation and skills development. 

  • All finalists will be presented to the Africa Knowledge Exchange forum, appear in Africa Knowledge Exchange communiqués and published on GESCI’s web site for the research competition.

How to participate

To participate in the competition researchers are asked to submit a 3-page research abstract using an abstract template. Please download the abstract template here

The submitted research abstract should describe the research area and thematic relevance, background and related work, research methodology, key research findings and contributions.

All submissions must be in English and in word or PDF format.

Research abstracts are to be submitted electronically no later than 21 October 2012, at 11pm Eastern Africa Time, via e-mail to akecompetition2012@gesci.org Shortlisted researchers will be asked to submit also the full research study and an abbreviated presentation by 4 November 2012.

 

Background

Today’s global economy has gone through a shift from an industrial economy to a service economy that is driven by information, knowledge and innovation. Economic success increasingly comes to depend on effective utilization of intangible assets such as knowledge, skills and innovative potential. Workforce requirements change as a result of advancements in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and their application and adoption in industry and commerce. Learning environments are taking new shapes as we are no longer limited to the traditional classroom in that learning opportunities are readily available at any time.

To get a more comprehensive picture of the use of technology in skills development and learning models for innovation and employment in today’s knowledge societies, a research competition is being launched by GESCI. The competition is part of a collaboration project with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and aims to put the limelight on relevant research coming from researchers in Eastern and Southern Africa. The competition focuses on new learning environments that can foster innovation and enterprise in today’s knowledge societies. Information is constantly processed and converted into knowledge through learning and technology has in many ways changed the characteristics of how and where learning takes place. The competition seeks to bring out fresh perspectives on how emerging technologies affect learning environments in Eastern and Southern Africa and how this correlates to innovation and enterprise development. A key selection criterion for the winning research will be the potential of the research to be translated into practical projects or solutions that break through conventional learning models and demonstrate visible impact on preparing youth for the world of work and / or building capacity and opportunities for employment.


Competition themes

Focusing on the use of technology in skills development and learning models for innovation and employment the competition identifies four sub-themes.

1. The role of ICT and informal learning environments for innovation and employment
A range of technological innovations have emerged in recent years and African countries are quick to adopt new technology enabled solutions. How does the application of these ICT tools impact teaching and learning environments and skills development opportunities? How are mobile technologies effectively used to enable the acquisition of higher order thinking skills and create new knowledge, skills and employment opportunities? How are web-based technologies such as social, mobile, video, games, and personalized portals changing the teaching and learning landscape in Africa? What informal learning environments have technology given rise to and how are these impacting innovative capacity and employment opportunities of today’s youth? What is the benefit of technology enabled informal learning environments where collaborative learners can easily share and exchange knowledge and self-directed learners can continuously teach themselves and update their skills sets? What are the ICT-enhanced learning models emerging in informal environments and can they be successfully replicated in formal learning environments of secondary, tertiary or vocational education sub-sectors?

2. Innovation hubs and incubators as catalysts for learning and innovation
Technology innovation hubs and incubators are springing up in a number of African countries, gathering tech entrepreneurs for networking, knowledge sharing, idea generation and co-creation of new ventures. How are policies and strategic frameworks for the development and running of these innovation hubs and incubators formulated? Who are the different communities that are linked to the hubs / incubators and what is their role? How are these hubs and incubators contributing to development of skills required for innovation and enterprise creation? How are the hubs contributing to the enhancement of technical skills (programming, graphic design, animation etc) that drives innovation in knowledge-based industries and services? What is the role of innovation hubs and incubators in accelerating learning and innovation processes?

3. ICT-enabled skills development and learning models in the knowledge society
Learning models are changing as our societies become increasingly dependent on information, knowledge and innovation as drivers for socio-economic development. Technology has changed how we can access information and our approach to learning. Learning how to learn has become an essential competency to succeed in a rapidly changing market place. What are the emerging learning and innovation models for preparing youth to participate in the African knowledge economies in the 21st Century? What skills are emphasized in knowledge societies of today where the technological and innovative ecosystem is changing so quickly? What are the skills gaps, how do countries identify them, and what are the new approaches and models for skills development that are being practiced to close these gaps and build innovative capacity? What is the impact of technology use on new learning models such as cognitive apprenticeship, discovery learning, self- directed, project-based, inquiry or case based learning? How do these changes in pedagogy enhance life-long learning skills and the development of relevant skills for modern employments?

4. Skills development for digital culture and creative industries
Governments around the world increasingly recognize the important role creative industries have in their economies. Innovative IT solutions and the rapid utilisation of digital technologies have changed the nature of the creative sector and given rise to digital creative media industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent for which digital media is used for production. Some examples of such industries are film, animation, computer and mobile games, graphic design, web multimedia, and software development. How are skills for these industries developed in Eastern and Southern Africa today? What learning models are being used? Who are the key actors involved in developing these skills? What are the key skills gaps in terms of manpower required by the digital creative media industries? What are the challenges (resources, market demand, talent pool etc) experienced by African companies in realising the potential of these industries? What are the challenges for training institutions in developing the skills required? Do policies and strategic frameworks provide an enabling environment for the growth of these industries or how should they best be formulated and/or implemented?

 

Selection process and evaluation criteria

The initial selection will be made based upon the submitted research abstract. In selecting research that advances to the second round of the competition, judges will evaluate the research’s thematic fit, quality, novelty, significance and its potential to be translated into practical application. Shortlisted entrants after the first selection will be notified and asked to submit their full research study reports and an abbreviated research PowerPoint presentation (maximum 16 slides).

The second round will be evaluated based upon the submitted research abstract where judges will evaluate the research’s thematic fit, quality, novelty, significance and potential to be translated into demonstration projects capable of being implemented at a regional or national level. Finalists will be selected to advance to the third and final round of the competition. Shortlisted entrants will be notified of whether they qualify to the third and final round or not.

The final selection will be made based upon the final short-list of research studies and abbreviated research PowerPoint presentations by an expert panel consisting of high calibre educationists and innovators. The expert panel will evaluate the research’s thematic fit, quality, novelty, significance and potential to be translated into practical projects as well as criteria related to the overall organization, analysis, relevance and presentation of the research.

 

Further information
For questions, please e-mail: akecompetition2012@gesci.org