Abstract

Hosted by the Cambridge-Africa Programme, in partnership with Hughes Hall, Cambridge

Five visiting African researchers (CAPREx Fellows: http://www.cambridge-africa.cam.ac.uk/initiatives/caprex/fellows/fellows-2016-17) will make presentations on the exciting, Africa-focused research projects that they are undertaking in collaboration with Cambridge academics. All are welcome to attend.

14:00-14:15 Tea/coffee

14:15-14:20 Welcome and introduction

Professor David Dunne (Cambridge-Africa Programme Director)

14:20-14:45 Developing vocational pedagogy to enhance the learning and teaching of agriculture in African schools and reduce youth unemployment

Dr John James Okiror (Lecturer, Department of Extension and Innovation Studies, Makerere University)

Cambridge Collaborators: Professor Geoff Hayward and Dr Mark Winterbottom, Faculty of Education

Assessing the vocational pedagogical needs of agriculture teachers and instructors in Uganda and Ghana; addressing the need to provide food security with the increasingly youthful population of sub-Saharan Africa and dwindling employment opportunities in the urban industrial sector.

14:45-15:10 Translating administrative documents from French to English for a Ugandan Audience: A sociolinguistic and pragmatic approach

Dr Enoch David Sebuyungo (Lecturer and Coordinator for Centre for Language and Communication, Department of European and Oriental Languages, Makerere University)

Cambridge Collaborator: Dr Edith Esch, Faculty of Education and Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics Looking at how best to ensure effective translation across borders and cultures for Uganda, an Anglophone country surrounded by French-speaking neighbours.

15:10-15:35 Technologizing’ Orality: Toward a Hybrid Model of Oral Media for Rural Communities in Central Uganda

Dr Aaron Mushengyezi (Associate Professor/Dean, Department of Literature, Makerere University)

Cambridge Collaborator: Dr Andrea Grant, Centre for African Studies

Examining how indigenous media forms have been hybridised by modern technology and how effective they are as channels of communication in rural areas.

15:35-16:00 Origins and Evolution of Epidemic Cholera in Ghana

Dr Japheth Opintan (Senior Lecturer, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana)

Cambridge Collaborator: Professor Gordon Dougan, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

Performing whole genome sequencing (WGS) on archived epidemic Vibrio cholerae isolates to create a genetic library for studying population diversity and evolution of the organism; offering an opportunity to identify, predict and model preventive measures against future epidemics.

16:00-16:25 Novel Marine-Derived Actinomycetes from Ghana’s Western and Volta Regional Wetlands: Genetic Sequences, Chemistry and Biological Activity Profiles

Dr Kwaku Kyeremeh (Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, University of Ghana)

Cambridge Collaborator: Professor Peter Leadlay, Department of Biochemistry

New, un- or underexplored extreme environments harbour novel microorganisms with the novel genetic and biosynthetic capability to produce our future drug prototypes. This study thus emphasises the importance of protecting Ghana’s wetlands beyond the known ecological and socio-economic factors.

16:25-16:30 Closing Remarks Dr Pauline Essah (Cambridge-Africa Programme Manager and Senior Member of Hughes Hall, Cambridge)

Hughes Hall is one of the Cambridge Colleges that have linked up with the Cambridge-Africa Programme to host African fellows visiting Cambridge. Hughes Hall kindly sponsors this event, to give African fellows visiting the University of Cambridge the opportunity to showcase their research in Cambridge and obtain constructive feedback.