Blantyre, Malawi

From February 28 to March 1, 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 University of Science and Technology (MUST), held the 2025 National Grant Writing and Proposal Development Workshop at the Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre, Malawi.

On Friday, the workshop began with an opening ceremony, including welcome remarks from Master of Ceremonies: Enerst Longwe (Lecturer, Language and Communication Studies Department, MUST), Dr. Ignasio Jimu (Head of Department, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices, MUST), Dr. Cyril Obi (Program Director, APN and Next Gen), and Guest of Honor Dr. Michael Zimba (Executive Dean, Malawi Institute of Technology).

They thanked the participants for coming and expressed the importance of African scholars and researchers honing their research skills through learning and collaborating with esteemed colleagues. Afterward, a group photo was taken on the upper deck.

The Keynote Lecture of the day, “Research Conceptual Frameworks,” was delivered by Professor David Mkwambisi, Director of Malawi Innovation and Industrial Research Institute (MIIRI).
Throughout his lecture, Professor Mkwambisi encouraged participants to “think the thinking and the thinking” — engaging deeply and critically about how we think, especially regarding epistemology, and how ideas (including the ideas of others) are formed. He also informed the participants on how to differentiate between theoretical frameworks and conceptual frameworks.

The Keynote Lecture was followed by two plenary lectures. The first one, “Critical steps in searching, applying for, and winning Institutional Grants/Individual Fellowship awards,” was delivered by Professor Kenneth Omeje, Vice President for Academic Affairs of Management International University. Professor Omeje broke down the steps in successfully identifying and winning the type of research grants most appropriate to the individual participants’ study.

The second one, “Conceptualizing the Research Idea – Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Approaches,” was delivered by Professor Henrietta Nyamnjoh, Researcher, Migration and Mobility Hub, University of Cape Town. Professor Nyamnjoh assessed the conceptual frameworks for research ideas that range from disciplinary to multidisciplinary, and why the differentiation between them is essential as one develops their research idea into something concrete.

After a tea and coffee break, the plenary lectures continued. The third one, “The Role of Theoretical Frameworks and Epistemological Issues in Research Design,” was delivered by Prof Charles Ukeje, Professor of International Relations, Obafemi Awolowo University. Professor Ukeje offered insights to participants on how to construct solid research designs by carefully considering the theoretical and epistemological foundations of their studies.

The fourth one, “The Role of Research Ethics,” was delivered by Professor Ignasio Jimu, Head of Department for the Department of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices, MUST. Professor Jimu focused on the ethical challenges and considerations when working with indigenous knowledge systems, highlighting the importance of respect, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity.

This was followed by a Question-and-Answer session between the panelists and the audience. Afterward, the participants separated into their individual working group sessions.

On Saturday, the participants gathered once more for their One-on-One sessions and Feedback sessions. The closing ceremony involved Dr. Cyril Obi and Dr. Ignasio Jimu delivered closing remarks and a vote of thanks. This was followed by the presentation of certificates to all participants in attendance.

The APN and Next Gen program would like to thank all of the participants, lecturers, the guest of honor, and the members of the MUST LOC for their participation, enthusiasm, support, and commitment to the program.