31 July, 2017

The 2ndConsortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) Vice Chancellors and Heads of research institutes meeting was held at the University of Nairobi from 10-11 July 2017. Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof Al Mtenje represented the University of Malawi at the meeting. CARTA is a South-South Partnership with a South-North collaboration which was formed with a mandate to establish a vibrant African academy able to lead world-class multidisciplinary research which impacts on population and health. The main objective of the CARTA program is to provide a research-supportive environment for the training of quality postgraduates in African universities, especially at the doctoral level, for the continent to have a critical mass of researchers and well-prepared academics to drive its development agenda in the knowledge economy of the 21st Century.

Among the key issues which were considered at the meeting were the following:

• Rethinking Doctoral Level Training in African universities from a comparative perspective. This involved the sharing of findings from CARTA partner institutions on the best practices to improve the research funding landscape and doctoral training in Africa.
• Deliberation on the best strategies for the institutionalization of CARTA at partner universities, including the future of CARTA graduates and how best to support them to become research leaders and change agents in their universities.
• Challenges affecting postgraduate and research training in African universities.