Forum: Bridging the Gap between Academics and Policymakers in Africa

Jok Madut Jok, ‘Dapo Oyewole, Folashadé Soulé, Thomas Kwasi Tieku, Emmanuel Balogun, Haley Swedlund

International Studies Perspectives, April 2025

Jok Madut Jok

Anthropology Department

Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict & Collaboration

Africa (Sub-Saharan)

International Affairs

International Studies Perspectives

Jok Madut Jok

Abstract

Debates on “bridging the gap” in international relations have often focused on the ways in which academics try to influence policymakers in the U.S.A. and to a lesser extent in Europe, Canada and Australia. There has been a tendency to overlook the nature of collaborations between academics and practitioners in other global spaces.

This forum brings together leading thinkers, who have engaged with and in policy spaces across several different African countries and across different issues areas, including peace and security, Sino–Africa relations and development cooperation. The aim of the forum is to kick-start a conversation on the status of academic and policy engagement across the African continent.