May 23rd, 2024 | 2:00 PM Eastern
In this installment of our Research to Solve Problems lecture series, Eva Vivalt (University of Toronto) will discuss her research conducted with policymakers, practitioners, and researchers at World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank workshops. The results illustrate how each of these three groups respond to and weigh evidence when it is presented to them, and which types of evidence policymakers tend to weigh more heavily.
The virtual book launch for America and The Production of Islamic Truth in Uganda, began with opening remarks and the introduction of the book’s author, Dr. Yahya Sseremba, by the moderator, Dr. Cyril Obi, Director of the SSRC’s APN and Next Gen Program. There were exactly four speakers: Dr. Yahya Sseremba, the author and Research Fellow at Makerere Institute for Social Research (MISR) and a distinguished alumnus of the Next Gen program; Prof. Suren Pillay, Head of African Studies and Linguistics and Director of the Center for African Studies at the University of Cape Town; Dr. Margaret Monyani, a Senior …
Lagos, Nigeria From July 22 to July 26, 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 Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), hosted the Research Methods Workshop at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. On Monday, the workshop began with opening remarks from Dr. Cyril Obi, the Program Director of APN and Next Gen. He thanked everyone in attendance for coming to the workshop, expressing excitement for the days ahead. His remarks were followed by that of Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, …
Nine months into the 2024 global elections year, how well are governments and social media companies safeguarding democracy? In the past few years, governments around the world have responded to platform-enabled foreign interference, threats against politicians, and campaigns of disinformation with policies to protect election integrity and democratic participation. However, government regulations and platforms’ own policies have provoked concerns that they may undermine freedom of expression or election fairness. What’s the global state of play with regard to social media and freedom of speech in elections in the midst of the 2024 election cycle? Join us in person at SSRC …
Machakos County, Kenya 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 Peace and Development Researchers Association (PADRA), held the African University Seminar Series, Kenya (AUSS-K) at Machakos University Hotel and Conference Centre in Machakos County, Kenya. PADRA, which is the off-shoot of AUSS-K, is composed of current and former Kenyan SSRC’s APN and Next Gen scholars and supported by the APN and Next Gen Program and organized by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC). The seminar was held, in partnership with the School …
In this Research to Solve Problems lecture, Duncan J. Watts (University of Pennsylvania) will explore some of the challenges faced by social and behavioral scientists in reconciling conflicting findings, or findings from studies conducted in different contexts, and consider whether those challenges are rooted in the traditional approach to the research process. He will outline an alternative approach, “integrative experimental design,” which puts generalizability considerations first in the process of experimental design, and illustrate this approach using an example from research on teams.
The virtual book discussion for Transnational Activities of Women-Focused Civil Society Actors in Southern Africa began with opening remarks and the introduction of one of the book’s co-authors, Dr. Cecilia Nedziwe, by the moderator, Dr. Cyril Obi, Director of the SSRC’s APN and Next Gen Program. The book discussion was led by three speakers: Prof. Siphokazi Magadla, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes University, Dr. Lilian N.S. Kong’ani, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Cape Town, and Erin Hazan, PhD Candidate at the University of the Witwatersrand. Dr. Cecilia Nedziwe thanked …
The Mercury Project, together with the University of Nairobi’s Institute for Development Studies, welcomes leaders from the public, private, and philanthropic communities to the Mercury Project Solutions Summit in Nairobi from October 3-4. We welcome colleagues from around the world to join us online for the opening plenary, at which representatives from the research, policy, and philanthropic communities will frame both the challenges and the opportunities for evidence-based strategies that build robust vaccine demand chains and support science-based health decision-making.
Registration includes access to breakfast at 08:30 on University of Nairobi Towers 4th Floor LT 401 Are you curious about how social science can change health outcomes? Or about how we can better interact with and shape our information environments based on behavioral science? Join us for an exciting morning of discussions, free breakfast (08:30 on University of Nairobi Towers 4th Floor LT 401), and expert insights that impact your world. On 3 October 2024, the Social Science Research Council and the Institute for Development Studies will host a public plenary as part of the Mercury Project Solutions Summit. We …
In this lecture, Esther Duflo shares her experience working in collaboration with policymakers in the developing world, and highlight the critical role of bringing a “plumbing” mindset to policy-relevant research: a mindset where policymakers realize that any program has so many dimensions that it is very difficult to get them all right, and where there is a need for constant experimentation and tinkering for policies to reach their full potential.
The SSRC and the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) will host a joint webinar via Zoom to discuss the fellowship program, application tips, and audience questions. The webinar will be delivered in English with simultaneous interpretation in French, Portuguese, and Spanish. It will be recorded and posted to the program website for those who are unable to attend. Event Details Tuesday, October 29, 2024 from 1 pm to 2 pm EDT (17:00 to 18:00 UTC)Zoom link: https://iaf.zoomgov.com/j/1604474886?pwd=hW28q4azGeBwsSQn00sphsY8AZdVg7.1Meeting ID: 160 447 4886Passcode: 305635 View the webinar recording here: https://youtu.be/G0rYSXJt-tE
Location: Strathmore University, Kenya The SSRC’s African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation for Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) sponsored a panel made up of members of the Peace and Development Researchers Association (PADRA) of Kenya, on ”Global Powers, Regional Organizations and Peace, Security and Development in the Horn of Africa, at the Amplifying African Voices for Stretegic Action (AFSA) conference, Nairobi. Four papers were presented in this panel. Dr Kizito Sabala from the University of Nairobi spoke on The Notion of African Solutions to African Problems and External Interests: Exploring the Missing Link in Africas Peace and Security …
