Conference Summary

Graduate students conducting research on themes related to SPATIALITIES in the Humanities are invited to apply to participate in the Second Graduate Conference organised by the University of Lagos African Cluster Centre (Unilag-ACC). This conference aims at guiding graduate students in developing and examining Africa- based theories and methods that promote research in African Studies.

The conference aims at making the ‘Reconfiguration of African Studies’ the focal point of current research by early-career scholars while aligning with spatialities, one of the major heuristic “angles” of the Africa Multiple – Cluster of Excellence in African Studies. The angle of spatialities is primarily concerned with scales that relations traverse and the spaces they produce.

The objectives of the conference are to:

• Create opportunities for early career scholars to share ongoing research with their peers;
• Provide support on how to develop theories in African Studies; 
• Grant networking opportunities to early-career researchers with senior academics from the University of Lagos and beyond;
• Give expert support to early-career researchers on thesis writing 

The Unilag-ACC is committed to developing a new generation of scholars eager to conduct research across the disciplinary domain of African Studies. This conference represents a major investment towards developing and using autochthonous African theories that capture and explain African realities. Selected graduate researchers would be expected to demonstrate interest in Africa-based/related theories and their applicability to their ongoing research in African Studies.

This conference promises to be a platform for the conceptualisation of profound and ground-breaking research, which could be a catalyst for national development and encourage global discourse, especially between Africans at home and the Diaspora.

Eligibility and application procedure

1. Only registered doctoral students in Nigerian universities are eligible to submit abstracts for the conference.
2. Application must be supported by a letter from the Head of Department of the applicant.
3. Proposal to be presented at the conference should be based on research in the Humanities, and preferably on autochthonous African theories. 
4. Each applicant is expected to submit an abstract of not more than 300 words on or before 30th June, 2023.
5. Submissions should be titled Graduate Conference 2023 and sent to: iads@unilag.edu.ng

Important information and dates

Call for submission of abstracts: 30th April-30th June, 2023

Feedback on accepted abstract: 30th July, 2023

Submission of Powerpoint for presentation (not more than 10 slides) and a detailed explanation of the theory used in the ongoing research for review: 30th August, 2023

Conference Dates:

Arrival: 19th September, 2023.

Departure: 22nd September, 2023.

Successful applicants are eligible for the following:

Transportation to and from Lagos and airport shuttle.

Transportation from the hotel to the conference venue.

Accommodation and feeding throughout the duration of the conference.