« All Events

Call for applications: MIASA workshop on female academic careers in Africa on 8 – 10 July 2026 (Application deadline: 19 April 2026)

April 19 All day

The Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA) is inviting applications for its 9th workshop on female academic careers in Africa, which will take place from 8 to 10 July 2026 at the University of Ghana (UG), Legon, Accra. This workshop is organised in cooperation with the German Historical Institute Paris (GHIP), the Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA, UG), and the Marc Bloch Centre Berlin (CMB).

MIASA is based on a cooperation between UG and four German partners. The institute is located on UG’s Legon campus. MIASA is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and co-funded by the University of Ghana.

This workshop welcomes early- and mid-career female academics who are affiliated in the Social Sciences and Humanities with universities or research institutes across the African continent. Applicants should hold a PhD (to up to twelve years after having completed their PhD). We are open to a broad range of disciplines within the range of social sciences and humanities and appreciate, in particular, applicants whose research is related to one or more of MIASA’s research themes (see the website: https://miasa.ug.edu.gh/research-profile/).

The workshop offers time and space to discuss the challenges and opportunities for women in academia in African contexts. Participants from Ghana and other African countries will be accompanied by a professional coach through different thematic modules (among them professional relationships, power dynamics, work-life balance). The coaching supports participants in reflecting about how to deal with different challenges in their professional contexts, to define their own working and leadership style and to develop strategies to seize professional opportunities. The workshop focuses on the university environment and academic practice. The workshop also includes a public round table discussion.

Selection criteria:

  • Completed PhD, academic excellence and career perspectives
  • Research profile and thematic links with MIASA.

The organising committee will select a group of 16 female researchers from different disciplines, countries and at different career stages (early to mid-career). The workshop will take place in Accra and will be conducted in English.

Application deadline: 19 April 2026

Applications:

All applicants must complete this online application form: https://framaforms.org/miasa-female-academic-careers-in-africa-2026application-form-1773873134

All fields of this form must be completed. Then press the ‘submit’ button (=SOUMETTRE). A second page will appear which you can close.[1]

  • In addition, the following documents must be sent as a single PDF file to workshop-miasa@dhi-paris.fr, including
  • Motivation letter (please present your overall professional profile and indicate the two main reasons why you would like to participate in this workshop).
  • Research profile, max. 500 words (please briefly describe your main research themes; focus on your own research themes that you are currently working on).
  • CV (max. 2 pages), including a list of max. 10 publications.

All documents must be assembled in one single PDF file. The PDF file must be named with your surname and first name: Surname_first name_atelier2026.pdf.

Applications that do not comply with these formal criteria will be excluded.

MIASA will cover participants’ travel expenses (economy class flight, local transport), meals and accommodation for participants from outside Accra.

Scientific and organisational team:

  • Prof. Grace Diabah (UG, MIASA)
  • Dr. Susann Baller (CMB)
  • Prof. Deborah Atobrah and Dr. Abena Kyere (UG, CEGENSA)
  • Prof. Charlotte Wrigley-Asante (UG, Dep. of Geography and Resource Development)
  • Mathilde Ackermann and Eleonora Marchioni (GHIP)

Reports on past workshops of this series : https://miasa.hypotheses.org/3605 (2018–2021); https://miasa.hypotheses.org/4081 (2022–2024); https://miasa.hypotheses.org/2900 (roundtable in 2024)

[1] The form may not work using a phone. In this case, please try first again by using a computer. In rare cases you may also encounter other technical issues with this form. Based on our experience, they are country-specific (for instance, Morocco). In this case, please contact the organising team.