Mentoring a stronger African voice in climate adaptation science

Dr Jabulani Nyengere 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. As part of this, he recently did a virtual presentation on "Advanced Spatial Modelling for Academic Publication: The Power of Maps". The presentation focused on how spatial modelling and maps can significantly enhance academic research and was targeted at PhD and master's students completing their studies and working toward finalising their research.

How did this opportunity come about?

This opportunity came through a competitive call shared by a FAR-LEAF II Fellow, inviting accomplished scholars to apply to serve as mentors under the ARA Knowledge Catalyst Fellowship for Emerging Adaptation Professionals. After reviewing the advert, I submitted my application and went through the required selection procedures. I was subsequently offered a short-term consultancy contract by the African Centre for Technology Studies to serve as a mentor. My role focuses on supporting emerging researchers from African universities to strengthen their academic manuscripts and increase their chances of publishing in reputable peer-reviewed journals.

Please tell us more about your mentorship role.

My mentorship role with the African Centre for Technology Studies is part of the ARA Knowledge Catalyst Fellowship for Emerging Adaptation Professionals. The engagement runs from May to September 2026 and is designed to provide targeted academic and professional mentorship to selected Emerging Adaptation Professionals. According to the contract terms, the role involves guiding mentees in transforming existing research into publishable, peer-reviewed articles, strengthening their research and publication capacity, and enhancing the visibility of Global South knowledge in climate adaptation science and policy.

In practical terms, I will support mentees in manuscript development, including assessing the quality and readiness of their papers, improving structure and coherence, strengthening literature integration, selecting appropriate journals, aligning manuscripts with relevant scientific debates, and preparing responses to peer-review comments. The role also includes regular mentorship meetings, timely feedback on drafts, progress monitoring, monthly reporting to ACTS, and contribution to knowledge-sharing activities where required.

You will work closely with postgraduate students over the next few months. Tell us more about what this entails.

Over the next few months, I will work closely with postgraduate students and emerging researchers from African universities researching climate adaptation and related fields. The mentorship will involve structured one-on-one or small-group support, tailored to each mentee's needs. Each student will be guided through the academic publication process, from refining the research argument and improving methodological clarity to developing strong maps, spatial evidence, and publication-ready manuscripts.

The students are part of the wider African and Global South adaptation research community supported through the ARA Knowledge Catalyst Fellowship. Their exact institutional and country affiliations can be inserted once ACTS confirms the final mentee-matching details. However, the broader aim is to support African scholars whose work has strong potential to contribute to climate adaptation knowledge, policy, and practice.

What will the impact of this project be?

The project will have both academic and practical impact. Academically, it will help emerging African researchers convert their existing or near-complete research into high-quality manuscripts suitable for submission to reputable peer-reviewed journals. This is important because many strong African research outputs remain unpublished or underrepresented in international literature due to limited mentorship, editorial support, or publication guidance.

In practice, the project will amplify locally grounded knowledge on climate adaptation, including evidence to inform policy, planning, and implementation. My presentation on

"Advanced Spatial Modelling for Academic Publication: The Power of Maps" will contribute to this goal by demonstrating how spatial analysis, GIS, and high-quality maps can strengthen scientific arguments, improve the communication of research findings, and enhance the publication value of adaptation studies.

How does this affect your career?

This opportunity strengthens my career as a scholar, mentor, and applied geospatial researcher. It allows me to contribute beyond my own research outputs by supporting the next generation of African researchers to publish and participate more visibly in global scientific debates. It also enhances my international engagement with institutions such as ACTS and the Adaptation Research Alliance, while aligning closely with my expertise in geoinformatics, environmental science, spatial modelling, and academic publication. Professionally, the role positions me as a mentor within the Global South research ecosystem and expands my contributions to climate adaptation scholarship, particularly in areas where spatial modelling and maps can support stronger, evidence-based publications.

How will this mentorship responsibility impact your time?

In practical terms, the engagement will require careful time management over the five months. I will need to allocate time for regular mentorship meetings, reviewing manuscript drafts, preparing feedback, supporting journal selection, preparing or delivering the spatial modelling presentation, and submitting monthly progress updates. The contract also requires timely written feedback on submitted drafts, with a maximum turnaround period of ten working days. Because the mentorship is mainly remote, it is manageable alongside my academic responsibilities. However, it will require disciplined scheduling, especially during periods when students submit revised drafts or require intensive publication guidance.

What do you see as the outcome of this project?

The outcome is to see the mentees produce stronger, publication-ready manuscripts and, where possible, submit or publish their work in reputable peer-reviewed journals. Beyond individual publications, the project should build long-term research confidence, writing capacity, and publication skills among emerging African scholars. More broadly, I see the project contributing to a stronger African voice in global climate adaptation science. By improving how researchers use spatial modelling, maps, and evidence-based storytelling, the mentorship can help ensure that African adaptation research is not only locally relevant but also visible, credible, and influential in international academic and policy spaces.

Dr Jabulani Nyengere in conversation with Heidi Sonnekus (FAR-LeaF Programme)