A stronger African voice in global Climate adaptation science
- 21 hours ago
- 3 min read
Dr Enoch Tham-Agyekum was recently appointed as a mentor within the Emerging Adaptation Professionals (EAP) Knowledge Catalyst Fellowship. For the next four months, he will focus on helping students from African Universities strengthen their academic writing skills and expand their knowledge, ensuring their manuscripts are improved and ready for publication in high-impact journals. The program targets PhD and master's students who are completing their studies and working toward finalising their research.
How did this opportunity come about?
I found out from a call shared on our FAR-LeaF informal WhatsApp platform. Once I reviewed the fellowship criteria and goals, I understood what it meant for me and immediately knew I wanted to join. I mentioned that I felt there was a match between the fellowship's goals and the research and mentorship activities I was gaining from the FAR-LeaF programme, and so I had applied in a timely and meaningful way.
Tell me about your mentorship role with the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS).
The African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) will provide support to the two postgraduate researchers on the climate change adaptation theme, including technical and academic support. As part of a continental program, my mentorship spans two African countries: Ghana and Somalia. The basic task is to enhance students' scientific output, with a special focus on academic writing, methodological clarity, and publication readiness. Upon completion of the mentorship period, they should have published research distilled into manuscripts ready for submission to the peer-reviewed journals agreed to under ACTS.
What does the mentorship involve in practice?
The mentorship process is structured and interactive. I am expected to conduct one-on-one supervisory sessions (bi-weekly) with my mentees, make a presentation on the use of AI in climate communication, run a workshop (Ghana) and iterative manuscript reviews. I will interact with students to improve their ability to formulate problems and structure research framing in the field of climate adaptation studies; further, I will support them to enhance the methodological rigour and data interpretation, the academic writing of their research, identify journals and journal responses, and promote ethical issues and research integrity in publications. Much of the material is the iterative process of guided revision, in which the students produce successive versions of their manuscripts until they are ready for publication.
What will the impact of this project be?
Personally, I will see my mentees improve in their research communication skills and have a clearer path to publication. From an institutional perspective, their African universities that participate in the fellowship will benefit from increased quality of their output and greater representation in the international academic arena. By working together, we will increase Africa's global presence in climate adaptation science by not only doing research on the continent but also publishing and recognising African research.
How does this affect your career?
The fellowship is, to me, a continuation and an extension of my academic work in adaptation science for climate change. It deepens my capacity as a capacity builder and connects me to a broader continental network of climate resilience research and practice. It also enhances my academic profile through collaborative research products and supports my efforts to contribute to the continent's scholarship on environmental and climate studies.
What is the practical time commitment?
The mentorship lasts for four months and involves regular contact with the students assigned to them. This will include regular virtual meetings, manuscript reviews, and continued email or platform communication. The workload is organised but needs to be managed with care, including balancing mentoring with my own academic, teaching and research commitments. Because documents are developed iteratively, responsiveness and sustained engagement are key requirements of the programme.
What is the outcome of the project?
The ultimate aim of the fellowship is to produce quality scientific research products by postgraduate students from Africa which can be published. In addition to the publications, the project aims to build sustainable research capacity by developing the skills of future researchers to conduct and publish impactful scientific research independently. Overall, the programme seeks to enhance Africa's role in global climate adaptation conversations by ensuring that Africa's evidence is incorporated into global policy, practice, and research agendas.
The Africa Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) implements a six-month fellowship programme to support early-career adaptation professionals in Africa in producing policy-relevant, publishable research aligned with IPCC AR7 priorities. Through targeted training, individualised mentorship and an interactive write-shop hosted by the ACTS Pathways Academy, the project aims to increase the visibility and influence of African adaptation individualised research in global assessment and policy processes. The Secretariat offers coordination, quality assurance, and connections to journals and global platforms. The approach aims to keep transaction costs low and direct support towards meaningful outputs. Read more about the programme here: https://www.scienceblog.africa/post/far-leaf-fellows-pay-it-forward
Dr Enoch Tham-Agyekum in conversation with Heidi Sonnekus (FAR-LeaF Programme)
