Uppsala Forum for Africa Studies

21/08/2026

Här en intervju med professor Sten Hagberg, Uppsala University's Forum for Africa Studies, om Local Democracy Academy som han var med och arrangerade tillsammans med ICLD - Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy.

Akademin som ägde rum i Visby 17-19 augusti 2026 genomfördes på Campus Gotland. Femtio forskare från 22 länder möttes för att presentera forskingsresultat och diskutera hur forskning och praktiskt arbete kan samverka.

18/08/2026

Between 17, and 19 August, the 2026 Local Democracy Academy takes places at Uppsala University's Campus Gotland in . The Academy is co-organized by ICLD - Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy and Uppsala University's Forum for Africa Studies. Some 50 researchers from 22 countries across the world present research results and practical experiences of local democracy work. Under the theme Local Democracy Against Autocratization: Resistance and Preparedness, intense workshops and roundtables are ongoing.

Enjoy some glimpses and high moments from the first day. Now a Practioners Panel to kickstart Day 2. Stay tuned, folks.

13/08/2026

Nästa vecka hålls konferensen ”Local Democracy Academy” på Campus Gotland. Internationellt Centrum för Lokal Demokrati (ICLD) och Forum för Afrikastudier vid Uppsala universitet står som medarrangörer för konferensen, som samlar omkring femtio forskare i Visby.

Måndag 17 augusti kl. 15.00–16.30 kan du få en inblick i konferensen då allmänheten är inbjuden till ett öppet rundabordssamtal i hörsal E22 om lokal demokrati som motvikt till auktoritarism.

Bland talarna finns forskare inom lokal demokrati från Kenya, Indonesien, Spanien och Sverige. Panelen har titeln Local Democracy as a Counterweight to Authoritarianism — ett angeläget och högaktuellt tema i en tid av demokratisk tillbakagång, ökad polarisering, attacker mot självständiga institutioner och en minskad tilltro till politiken.

Välkommen att ta del av samtalet, möta forskarna och bidra med era perspektiv!

➡️Mer information: www.uu.se/centrum/forum-for-afrikastudier/kalendarium/arkiv/2026-08-17-lokal-demokrati-som-motvikt-till-auktoritarianism

11/08/2026

FORUM TIPSAR

An interesting opportunity for researchers looking to find new collaborators in South Africa, Sweden and 19 other African countries.

The SASUF+ Beyond Borders AI Matchmaking Platform is now open – create a profile, connect with researchers with similar or complementary interests, and start developing new collaborations for the SASUF–NRF Seed Grants call.

Find out more about the platform and register here: www.b2match.com/e/sasuf-beyond-borders

Read more about the Seed Funding call here: https://www.sasuf.org/sasuf-nrf-seed-grants-for-intra-africa-collaborative-research-1

Please feel free to share with colleagues who may be interested!

https://www.facebook.com/SouthAfricaSweden/posts/pfbid02ihjCBRGs2Di1LLfzw5ieGQ1zhoMnJmtJBatFXRekMTLgyne72teCZLk3Zhw99Besl?rdid=JzMaENQwxsCqshS8 #

09/08/2026

From Monday 17 August to Wednesday 19 August, Uppsala University's Forum for Africa Studies, and ICLD - Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy co-organize the fifth ICLD Local Democracy Academy (LDA) in Visby, Campus Gotland.
https://icld.se/en/kampanj/local-democracy-academy/about-the-academy/

The theme of the 2026 LDA is "Local Democracy Against Autocratization: Resistance and Preparedness", as a way to consolidate two decades of scholarship on local democracy by critically reflecting on its development, legacy, and future directions. https://www.uu.se/en/centre/africa-studies/events/archive/2026-08-17-lda-2026-local-democracy-against-autocratization

On Monday 17 August, 15.00 (sharp)-16.30, Lecture-Hall E22, Almedalesbiblioteket, Cramérgatan 5, Visby, a panel discussion open to the general public will focus on "Local Demcoracy as a Counterweight to Authoritarianism". Most welcome! https://www.uu.se/en/centre/africa-studies/events/archive/2026-08-17-local-democracy-as-a-counterweight-to-authoritarianism

10/07/2026

📢 Join the Africa–Europe Cluster of Research Excellence on Migration and Health (CoRE-MH) Webinar

The Current Status Quo on Migration and Health Data in Africa and Europe: Challenges, Opportunities and the Way Forward

Migration and health are deeply interconnected, yet there is still no standardized mechanism for routinely collecting and disseminating migrant health data within national health information systems. This data gap limits countries' ability to maximize the benefits of migration, address migrant vulnerabilities, and effectively monitor progress toward national and global goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This timely webinar will explore the current state of migration and health data globally, with a particular focus on Africa and Europe. Experts will discuss key challenges, emerging opportunities, and potential pathways forward. The discussion will also highlight unique considerations related to internal migration and health data.

🎙 Chair
Jo Vearey
Associate Professor, Co-Lead CoRE-MH, University of the Witwatersrand

👥 Speakers

Philippe Bocquier** – Professor, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
Carren Ginsburg** – Senior Researcher, University of the Witwatersrand
Saverio Bellizzi– Technical Lead, WHO Special Initiative on Health and Migration, WHO Geneva
Diego Itturralde – Chief Director for Demography and Population Statistics, Statistics South Africa
Soorej Jose Puthoopparambil – Associate Professor, Co-Lead CoRE-MH, Uppsala University

📅 Date:7 September 2026
🕛 Time:12:00–13:00 CET

🔗 Register here:


Don't miss this opportunity to engage with leading experts and contribute to the conversation on strengthening migration and health data systems across Africa and Europe.

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08/07/2026

📣 Seminar Invitation

Writing With: Early Reflections on Collaborative Historiography with the Sihanaka of Madagascar. Presentation by Dr Anders Norge.

🗓 4 September 2026,10-11.30 CET
📍 ENG 2-2028, Thunbergsvägen 3H / Zoom

It is time to write down our history before it is lost.

With these words, Sihanaka elders in Madagascar invited anthropologist Dr Anders Norge to help reclaim a past long denied them. This seminar introduces a new VR International Postdoctoral project that takes that invitation as both task and challenge.

Rather than writing about a people, the project asks what it might mean to write with them. Bringing together oral traditions, archival fragments, and more than a decade of ethnographic research, it explores the possibilities and complexities of collaboratively producing history. What happens when disagreement, multiplicity, and silence are treated not as gaps to overcome, but as part of the historical record itself?

Still at an early stage, with the first postdoctoral fieldwork planned for November 2026, the project offers questions rather than conclusions. The talk reflects on issues of method, authority, collaboration, and the purposes of history-writing, and invites discussion on how histories are made and by whom.

We warmly welcome colleagues and students to join us for what promises to be a thought-provoking seminar and discussion.

All are welcome. For more information on our seminars, and zoom link for the seminar, see https://www.uu.se/centrum/forum-for-afrikastudier/kalendarium/arkiv/2026-09-04-friday-seminar

07/07/2026

📢 Applications Now Open!

Join the second cohort of the Uppsala School for Africa Studies(September 2026 – June 2027)!

Are you a PhD student or postdoctoral researcher working in and on Africa? The School offers a unique opportunity to connect with scholars across disciplines, expand your academic network, and engage in stimulating discussions on Africa-related research.

🌍 Interdisciplinary learning and collaboration
🎓 Certificate of participation
🤝 Networking with Africa-focused researchers
💻 Hybrid participation opportunities available

🗓 Application deadline: 31 August 2026

Don't miss the opportunity to be part of a growing community of Africa scholars at Uppsala University!
To apply, fhttps://www.uu.se/en/centre/africa-studies/study/uppsala-school-for-africa-studies
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The Uppsala School for Africa Studies is a framework for bringing together and creating synergies between programs, projects, and clusters of Uppsala University’s engagements in and with Africa. The School is a central pillar of Uppsala University’s Forum for Africa Studies’ strategic work reg...

05/07/2026

The Forum co-hosts the ICLD Local Democracy Academy 17-19 August 2026, Campus Gotland,

Between 17 August and 19 August, the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD), and Uppsala University's Forum for Africa Studies co-host the ICLD Local Democracy Academy at Campus Gotland, Visby. The theme is "Local Democracy Against Autocratization: Resistance and Preparedness". The purpose is to consolidate two decades of scholarship on local democracy by critically reflecting on its development, legacy, and future directions. Some 50 local democracy researchers and practitioners will attend the fifth Local Democracy Academy (LDA). A public panel will be hosted on 17 August 2026. Stay tuned! https://www.uu.se/en/centre/africa-studies/events/archive/2026-08-17-lda-2026-local-democracy-against-autocratization

Access the LDA2026: https://icld.se/en/kampanj/local-democracy-academy/


Region Gotland Uppsala University Sida - Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete