Ana İçerik

Africa: Structural Challenges and Home-Grown Solutions 

Workshop (Day 2) 

Istanbul, Turkiye | 20–22 May 2026 

Working language: English, French & Turkish 

Organizers: TUFRAM (Marmara University) and Afro-Eurasian Research Institute

 

CALL FOR PAPERS 

As part of the three-day event “Africa: Structural Challenges and Home-Grown Solutions” (20–22 May 2026, Istanbul), jointly organized by Center for Turkiye–France Relations (TUFRAM – Marmara University) and Afro-Eurasian Research Institute (Istanbul), the second day (Day 2) hosts an Academic and Scientific Workshop on 21 May 2026. The workshop brings together African graduate students, Turkiye-based scholars working on Africa, and international scholars from diverse disciplines. 

The workshop provides a collegial space to present and discuss research on the structural challenges shaping African societies and economies, while centering evidence-based, context-sensitive, and home-grown solutions—ideas, policies, practices, and institutional innovations emerging from African contexts. We encourage submissions that are empirically grounded, conceptually rigorous, and attentive to local agency and comparative perspectives. 

Submission formats 

• Completed research paper (original and unpublished). 

• Work-in-progress paper (early findings or chapter/article drafts). 

• Research design / proposal paper (especially welcome from graduate students). 

Thematic areas (non-exhaustive) 

• Governance, institutions, and political economy (state capacity, decentralization, accountability) 

• Peace, security, conflict resolution, and post-conflict reconstruction 

• Development, finance, trade, and industrialization (value chains, industrial policy, entrepreneurship, informal economies) 

• Debt, taxation, and domestic resource mobilization; investment facilitation and risk management 

• Social policy, inequality, and demographic change (youth, education, health systems, social protection, gender and inclusion) 

• Climate, environment, and resilience (adaptation, water/food systems, energy transitions, climate finance, local ecological knowledge) 

• Science, technology, and innovation (digital economies, fintech, AI, data governance) 

• Migration, mobility, diaspora, and transnational networks (student mobility, remittances, knowledge circulation) 

• Africa–Turkiye relations and comparative perspectives (South–South cooperation, civil society, cultural diplomacy) 

Submission guidelines 

• Extended abstract (1000-2000 words) including research question, methodology/data, key findings (or expected contribution), and at least 3 keywords. 

• Short bio (100–150 words) including affiliation, country, and status (MA/PhD/ECR/faculty). 

• Language of submission: English, French or Turkish. 

Workshop format 

• The workshop will be organized into thematic panels with 3–4 papers per session. 

• Each paper will receive structured feedback from a discussant, followed by Q&A. 

• A graduate research clinic/mentorship session will offer advice on methods, publishing, and research ethics. 

Important dates 

• Abstract submission deadline: 30 April 2026 

• Notification of acceptance: 5 May 2026 

• Registration: 10 May 2026 

• Workshop date: 21 May 2026 

Publication opportunity 

Selected contributions are considered for special issues in Öneri, Marmara Journal of Political Science, Marmara Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, and International Journal of Afro-Eurasian Studies as well as workshop proceedings, subject to editorial review and author consent. Details will be announced by the organizing committee. 

How to submit 

• Send your submission as a single PDF or Word file to africa@marmara.edu.tr