1st African Young Scholars Workshop on Cooperatives
14 Oct 2019
On the occasion of the ICA Global Conference 2019 in Kigali, Rwanda, ICA CCR held a one-day meeting of cooperative researchers, on 14th October 2019 at Kigali Convention Center. As part of this event, a Young Scholars Workshop on Cooperatives was held in partnership with the Young Scholars Initiative Working Group on Cooperatives and Cooperation. Ten young scholars (Msc students, PhD candidates, Postdocs) from the region joined the workshop.
The aim of the event was to discuss topics related to professional life after studies and to give young scholars the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills on current issues on Cooperatives. Tree well-known academics from the field of Cooperative studies have given a keynote speech.
The first presentation was given by Prof. Esther Gicheru (Co-operative University of Kenya, Kenya) about Contemporary Challenges in Africa: Re-positioning Early Careers for emerging roles; A case for Co-operatives”. It was followed by the speech of Prof. Lou Hammond Ketilson (University of Saskatchewan, Canada) on “Building an Academic Career Focused on Co-operatives: International Perspectives”. Finally, Prof. Hagen Henrÿ (University of Helsinki, Finland, and Chairman of the ICA Co-operative Law Committee) talked about “Working in a Regional or International Organization -a Career Path for Young Cooperators: Make the Impossible Possible!”.
One of the attendees, Joyce Chigome (Midlands State University, Zimbabwe), reflected on this experience: “The workshop was a great platform to reorient my thinking on the role of cooperatives in the economic development of low-income countries. The keynote speakers inspired me to persevere in my attempt to acquire greater knowledge and skills on cooperatives. Coming from a novice research background, I really needed an opportunity like the workshop organized by ICA. I was happy to learn and network with well-known scientists from the field of Cooperative studies and also appreciate the depth and content of the discussions we had as I was able to effectively learn so much in a compressed day. I now have a much better understanding of the role of cooperatives in economic development as I chant my path towards researching more on opportunities and challenges for Africa.”
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