Invitation for a Research Seminar and Call for Papers for a Special Issue
Invitation for a Research Seminar and Call for Papers for a Special Issue
The University of Malawi intends to host a seminar on the intersection and diverse perspectives of food security, water, energy, culture and social capital in Sub-Saharan Africa. We invite scholars and researchers of all experience levels to attend and contribute to our research seminar. We hope that the conversations and dialogue during this seminar will result in a better understanding of the connections as well as diverse perspectives of water resource governance, water access, energy access and security, climate change and cascading risks, culture and social capital, and food security in Africa.
Rationale and aims of the seminar
The right to food security is a fundamental human right. Despite this, about 800 million people in the world are food insecure. More than one-third (278 million) of these live in Africa. Food insecurity at the household level is a major obstacle to achieving sustainable development goals and must be addressed. Food security is a complex problem to handle because of the interconnected nature of its multiple determinants, all of which have effects on food security outcomes. Many research gaps remain on how food security relates to multiple factors in Africa. This seminar examines the relationships between food security and water governance and access, energy access and security, climate change and cascading risks, culture and social capital to contribute to informed policies and interventions aimed at achieving household food security. The seminar will also examine diverse perceptions, perspectives and understanding of food security in the context of water governance and access, energy access and security, climate change and cascading risks, culture and social capital.
We, therefore, encourage submissions of papers that take a transdisciplinary approach to the interconnectedness of these broad areas and food security in Africa. The papers should respond to the following thematic areas:
a) Water governance and food security
b) Water access and food security
c) Energy access and security versus food security
d) Climate change, cascading climate risks and food security
e) Culture and social capital and food security
f) Pandemics and food security
Submission procedure
Scholars and researchers are invited to submit a 300 word abstract. Authors should also submit a title page indicating the title of the proposed paper, author(s), affiliation and corresponding author’s email address. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified and sent paper guidelines. All submitted abstracts will be double-blind peer-reviewed.
The seminar papers will be published in a special issue of The Malawi Journal of Science and Technology; however, this will depend on the quality and nature of the submitted abstracts. All submitted abstracts and papers will be double-blind peer-reviewed.
Please send your abstracts (word format only) through email at dtembo@unima.ac.mw copied to mjoshua@unima.ac.mw
Timeline
Deadline for the submission of abstracts is 22 November, 2022
Notification of abstract decision by 4 December, 2022
Paper submission by 9 February 2023
Seminar will take place on 9 March 2023
Seminar Organisers:
Dr Dorothy Tembo, Research Fellow, Future Africa, University of Pretoria & Senior Lecturer, Theology and Religious Studies Department, University of Malawi
Dr Miriam Kalanda-Joshua, Associate Professor, Geography and Earth Sciences Department, University of Malawi
Prof Wapulumuka Mulwafu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Mzuzu University
Prof Happy Kayuni, Acting Executive Dean, School of Law, Economics and Governance, University of Malawi
Prof Cosmo Ngongondo, Acting Executive Dean, School of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Malawi
Dr Asiyati Chiweza, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Governance, University of Malawi
Dr Michael Chasukwa, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Governance, University of Malawi
Dr Evance Mwathunga, Senior Lecturer, Geography and Earth Sciences Department, University of Malawi
Mr. Laston Manja, Lecturer, Economics Department, University of Malawi
More info Contact: Dr Dorothy Tembo via email at dtembo@unima.ac.mw
