BRING YOUR RESEARCH

Practice or policy brief · Workshop, 17 June 2027

500 words.

Structure the brief around context, intervention, outcomes and implications.

• Key challenge or issue
• Practical solution or intervention
• Evidence of impact or progress
• Lessons learned and implications for policy or scale-up

Themes

• Skills, Workforce Development and Local Capability
• Institutional Efficiency and Service Delivery
• Governance, Leadership and Accountability
• Finance and Enterprise Productivity

Emerging Scholars Colloquium · 16 June 2027

PhD students and early-career researchers within five years of completing their PhD are encouraged to participate.

The 2–4-page extended abstract should include the research question and objectives, methodological approach, preliminary findings or core argument, and contribution to theory, policy or practice.

• Senior-academic research feedback
• Mentorship on publishing and research strategy
• Academic career development
• Networking with journal editors and conference speakers

Research translated into action.

Selected academic papers, practitioner submissions and conference discussions may be developed into policy briefs for governments, public institutions, businesses and development partners.

Policy briefs will focus on clear evidence, priority actions, implementation considerations and measurable outcomes.

Priority areas

• Skills development and workforce readiness
• Education-industry alignment
• SME and enterprise productivity
• Public sector efficiency and service delivery
• Financial accountability and value for money
• Digital transformation and responsible AI
• Urban productivity and inclusive growth
• Institutional reform and development accountability

How workshop submissions are assessed

Practice and policy brief submissions for the Industry, Policy and Practitioners Workshop are reviewed against:

• Relevance and thematic alignment with the workshop’s four themes
• Evidence-based, practice-driven insight, with clear outcomes or lessons learned
• Clarity of contribution and practical implications for policy, institutions or enterprise
• Analytical depth, situating the experience within broader development debates
• Ethical and professional standards, including accuracy, attribution and confidentiality
• Potential for cross-sector learning, replicability or scalability across African contexts

Workshop chairs

Journal development workshops during the conference will be led by editors from Thunderbird International Business Review, Africa Journal of Management, Business Strategy and Development, African Affairs, The Journal of Technology Transfer and Information Technology for Development. See Proceedings & publications for the full editorial panel and journal list.