This project brings together initiatives connected to conference organization, research networks, and academic capacity-building activities.

It includes work around MANSA 2024 as well as later workshop and symposium activities that connect research, training, and collaborative exchange in the region.

MANSA 2024

One of my central collaborative roles was serving as secretary for the 12th conference of the Mande Studies Association (MANSA), held at the Institut des Sciences Humaines in Mali. The event brought together scholars, researchers, and practitioners from different parts of the world around questions of knowledge, region, and decolonisation.

As secretary, my role included coordinating communication with participants, managing organisational follow-up, supporting the schedule, and helping maintain the practical flow of the conference before, during, and after the event.

Responsibilities

  • Coordinating submissions and conference communications.
  • Supporting planning and liaison with the organising committee.
  • Helping manage on-site logistics and session flow.
  • Contributing to post-conference reporting and documentation.

Broader significance

This work deepened my experience in academic coordination, collaborative organisation, and capacity-building. It also connects directly to later workshop and symposium activities in Bamako and Ouagadougou, which continue that same strand of regional academic engagement.