Nairobi, Kenya

On Friday, March 28, 2025, the Peace and Development Research Association (PADRA) held an early and mid-career authors workshop in collaboration with the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and with support from the African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) Program of the Social Sciences Research Council (SSRC). Hosted at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, the workshop’s aim was to provide PADRA members with guidance on the processes of  conceptualizing, crafting, and publishing their academic research, as well as effective ways to translate such research into actionable policies.

The event was ushered by welcome remarks from Dr. Jacinta Mwende Maweu, Chair of PADRA, who expressed her gratitude for those in attendance, including Professor Jack Odhiambo, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), University of Nairobi; Dr. Patrick Nyabul, Chairman of the Department of Philosophy, University of Nairobi, and the SSRC’s APN & Next Gen Program. Dr. Patrick Nyabul and Professor Jack Odhiambo followed with their opening remarks, acknowledging the role of the SSRC’s APN and Next Gen Program, including its impact-driven support, and contributions towards building the capacity of African scholars in the areas of research-based knowledge production and dissemination.

Maimouna Cherif,  of the APN and Next Gen Program, delivered opening remarks on behalf of the program’s director, Dr. Cyril Obi. Echoing warm appreciation to PADRA executives, workshop participants, guests and university faculty in attendance, the remarks emphasized the APN and Next Gen’s contribution to African peacebuilding knowledge production– namely through its provision of over 600 fellowship awards to African scholars, training workshops, mentorship programs, and special panels at international conferences. Dr. Obi congratulated PADRA, borne out of the APN and Next Gen’s African University Seminar Series (AUSS) in 2023, for  providing Kenyan-based APN and Next Gen fellows with research and mentorship opportunities since their consolidation from AUSS-K into a nationally recognized organization, PADRA.

The first lecture, “Getting published: The Craft and Structure of Academic Writing”, was presented by Dr. Eric Kioko, Lecturer at Kenyatta University and Senior Researcher at the British Institute in East Africa (BIEA). Dr. Kioko addressed the importance of viewing writing as an art and science, and the skills needed to better engage in the art of writing and publications. He highlighted the  importance of publishing, citing its benefits: academic visibility, contribution to scientific progress, securing funding or meeting degree requirements. Dr. Kioko also stressed the time-intensive nature of writing and publishing, recommending that scholars deepen connections with their peers and consult the repository of previously published works to help with the process of knowledge transfer and ideation. He encouraged scholars to assess the novelty and relevance of their work before writing, discussing the importance of understanding publication ethics and selecting the appropriate journal for publication based on the journal’s ranking, rejection rate, word count and formatting requirements.

Following the first lecture, Dr. Kioko delved into the practical realities of academic publishing, particularly the challenges faced by scholars from Africa, using insights from his experience as an academic. He provided a detailed walkthrough of the journal submission and review process, highlighting the importance of adhering to strict formatting guidelines, responding tactfully to reviewer comments, and navigating potential biases or “cartels” among reviewers. The discussion also covered strategies for dealing with rejection, such as taking time to process feedback, categorizing reviewer comments, and being willing to substantially revise the paper’s focus if needed.

The second lecture, “Translating Research Into Policy Outputs”, was delivered by Dr. Patrick Mutahi, Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies. Dr. Mutahi established the importance of research for policy, namely through its identification of challenges, provision of evidence-based solutions, and considerable consumption by policy-makers. He expressed that challenges in bridging the research-policy gap include the inaccessible language used by researchers and the disconnect of policy-makers from the realities of their constituencies and populace. Dr. Mutahi further elaborated on the common barriers to research uptake in policy communities, including timing mismatch between the production of research and the  policy implementation process, the lack of engagement between researchers and policy-makers, and political opposition. He recommended that scholars understand their key stakeholders and policy makers, identify key steps of the policy formulation and implementation cycle, render their outputs digestible and concise and engage policy makers through direct meetings, media engagements, and to form partnerships with NGOs and think tanks.

Following the second lecture were closing remarks, provided by PADRA Executive Chair, Dr. Maweu and Treasurer, Dr. John Mwangi. Dr. Mwangi expressed his gratitude to all attendees and shared his hope to see everyone gather again for future workshop sessions or collaborative projects. Dr. Maweu extended heartfelt thanks to the facilitators for their insightful contributions, and she warmly opened the floor for participants to share their feedback, reflections, or final thoughts–framing it as an opportunity to not only conclude the session, but to collectively shape future conversations.

Interviews conducted with executive members of PADRA at the Early and Mid-Career Authors Workshop can be found here.