Blantyre, Malawi

From February 24 to February 27, the African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) program of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), in partnership with the Malawi Institute of Science and Technology (MUST), hosted the 2025 APN and Next Gen | MUST Writing and Dissemination Workshop from at the Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre, Malawi. The workshop brought together the 2024 APN and Next Gen fellows’ cohorts, esteemed facilitators, and distinguished keynote speakers to help enhance fellows’ writing and dissemination capacities.

On February 24, Ignasio Jimu, Head of Department for the Department of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices at MUST and Chair of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), provided introductory remarks. Dr. Jimu presented opening remarks to the APN and Next Gen staff and fellows, the university’s Vice Chancellor, the keynote speakers, and members of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC).

Cyril Obi, Program Director of the SSRC’s APN and Next Gen Program, also provided opening remarks. He asserted African scholars’ ability to excel and compete on a global stage and highlighted that since 2012, the APN and Next Gen program has awarded 783 fellowships. He spoke about the importance of integrating MUST and Malawian scholars more fully into the work of the APN and Next Gen and Africa’s broader academic discourses.

Professor Address Malata, Vice Chancellor of MUST, welcomed participants to Malawi, “the warm heartbeat of Africa.” She underscored the competence of African scholars and emphasized their ability to positively impact the continent and beyond. Professor Malata expressed her appreciation for the workshop’s focus on capacity building, highlighting that the research and expertise being developed are not merely for academic purposes, but to enact meaningful change, particularly in impacting policy and transforming educational systems.

Brigadier-General (Professor) Dan Kuwali, Commandant of the National Defence College in Malawi and Affiliated Professor at the Raoul Wallenberg of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Lund University, Sweden, delivered the first Keynote Lecture, “The Challenge of Writing on Justice, Peace and Development in Africa: A Multidisciplinary Perspective.” Professor Kuwali highlighted the deep-rooted challenges facing Africa and asserted that these issues require a multidisciplinary approach that draws from social science, political science, law, history, and economics to advance justice, peace, and development. He drew on the principles of Ubuntu, affirming that peace and development cannot be achieved in isolation; they require collaboration across institutions, nations, and communities, by ensuring that research reflects shared humanity and African perspectives. He called for African scholars to keep researching and reflecting on the lived experiences of Africans, including citing and supporting each other’s work, and to keep persevering on the journey towards peace, justice and development on the continent.

This lecture was followed by a Q&A session, after which APN IRF fellows met with their mentors and peers for their working group sessions, while Next Gen Doctoral Dissertation Fellows met in thematic groups, which are formed based on the alignment between each mentor’s area of expertise and the dissertation topics of the fellows in their group.

On February 25, the Guest of Honor Dr. Atikonda Mtenje-Mkochi, Executive Dean of the Bingu School of Culture and Heritage at MUST, emphasized the crucial role of social sciences, arts, and heritage in shaping Africa’s position in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. She emphasized the point that Africa must realize its full potential by ensuring that artificial intelligence (AI) does not widen existing inequalities, but instead serves as a tool for empowerment. She urged scholars in the social sciences, humanities, and arts to actively decolonize AI, as well as to preserve Africa’s rich cultural heritage through proper documentation. The rest of the day was taken up by breakout workshop groups, where fellows presented and refined their research-based proposals, chapters, and manuscripts preparatory to dissemination.

The second Keynote Lecture, “Artificial Intelligence, Digital Media and African Peacebuilding: Reflections on Emerging Opportunities and Challenges for Scholarly Writing”, was delivered by Caleb Gichuhi, Africa Lead at Build Up. Gichuhi framed his talk on the dual nature of technology—its potential for both inclusion and division, while exploring the division between the approaches of technology determinism and social determinism. He demonstrated the implications of AI-driven analysis in uncovering and predicting patterns of division and targeted hostility with examples drawn from hate speech and misinformation–areas of particular interest to peacebuilders. He noted that peacebuilders are currently not leveraging on digital tools and AI effectively, often outsourcing data analysis to tech companies lacking a peace-focused perspective, while cautioning against the risks inherent in such lapses. Gichuhi also addressed global infrastructure and information asymmetry, noting that AI’s reliance on widely cited sources marginalizes African perspectives, leading to distorted representations of African peacebuilding. He called on African scholars and institutions to actively engage in shaping AI narratives, ensuring ethical, human-centered technology that serves African peacebuilding efforts. His presentation was followed by a lively Q and A session, after which fellows continued with activities in their breakout groups.

The third day of the workshop involved a combination of breakout with one-on-one sessions, during which each fellow received focused guidance from their group’s mentor. After the completion of their sessions, fellows visited places of interest in Blantyre city, including Chichiri Museum, Bangwe Weaving Factory, MUST campus, and Providence Industrial Mission (PIM), a church established in 1900 by Reverend John Chilembwe—a prominent figure in Malawi’s struggle for independence against British colonial rule, credited with leading the 1915 Chilembwe Uprising. The Mission’s network of schools served as learning sites that provided anticolonial education, while its agricultural activities aimed to promote self-reliance in the local communities. This visit was followed by a dinner hosted at Sunbird Mount Soche Hotel. The evening consisted of excellent performances from MUST’s band, the Chichiri and Goliati Dance Troupes.

On February 27, fellows and mentors continued their one-on-one sessions, which was followed by a Fellows Panel Discussion, “African Perspectives to the Benefits and Risks of Leveraging Digital Technologies in Scholarly Writing.” Featuring Professor Henrietta Nyamnjoh, Dr. George Karekwaivanane, Dr. Fadzai Chipato, Dr. Sebastian Paalo, Patience Shawarira, Kenechukwu Peace Nwachukwu, and moderated by Dr. Obi, the panel discussion centered on the challenges and opportunities that digital technologies, particularly AI, present in scholarly writing and research. Panelists highlighted the benefits of AI for data analysis, idea generation, and improving efficiency, while emphasizing the ethical concerns surrounding its use, including transparency, consent, and the potential for misinformation. There was a consensus on the need for a cautious, decolonized approach towards integrating AI into research, especially in Africa, with a call for policies and training to ensure its responsible use. The conversation underscored the importance of balancing human insight with technological advancements while questioning whether relying on AI, especially developed by external powers, could pose a risk of “epistemic suicide” for African scholarship.

Following the panel discussion, closing remarks ensued. Speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellor of MUST and Executive Dean of the Bingu School at MUST, Dr. Jimu expressed gratitude to all who contributed to the overall success of the workshop, while noting the significance of hosting an international workshop at MUST. Dr. Obi followed his steps in expressing thanks, and ended by encouraging the cohort of 2024 APN and Next Gen fellows—now belonging to a pan African community of knowledge and practice—to implement what they have learned for society’s benefit.

The APN and Next Gen Program expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the 2024 cohort of fellows, mentors, keynote lecturers, guests of honor, and the Malawi Institute of Science and Technology (MUST) and its Local Organizing Committee for their contributing their unwavering commitment, dedication, and hard work to the success of the 2025 Writing and Dissemination Workshop.