Beyond the Grant: From Research to Real-World Impact, Shaping, Africa's Future Through Collaboration and Innovation
At a time when Africa’s political economy is being reshaped by shifting global dynamics, regional integration, and emerging multipolar partnerships, the role of research in the humanities and social sciences has become increasingly critical. NIHSS-supported initiatives continue to position scholars at the forefront of these debates, advancing both knowledge production and intellectual leadership across the continent.
When Prof Amiena Bayat reflects on the past year of work, she pauses, smiles, and offers a line that captures the spirit of the initiative: “This project gave our students exposures they would not have had
otherwise.”
Her words open a story not only about research outputs, but about intellectual growth, mentorship, collaboration, and the kind of
academic transformation the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) was established to catalyse.
One year on, the impact of the NIHSS-supported Changing Political Economy of Africa project continues to shape emerging scholars and inform continental debates.Supported through the Working Group Programme, the project brought together senior scholars,
postdoctoral fellows, policy practitioners, and two master’s students who went on to co-author a peer-reviewed journal article.