This year’s MPhil workshop is the first time that our students will be presenting their research. We’re excited about this addition – shared knowledge and peer discussions are fundamental to generating quality research.

As professionals in their own rights, our master’s students each bring their individual experiences, skills, and expertise – and by us facilitating this exchange and interaction, their collective experience is enriched.

In the wise words of our interim director, Dr Munya Saruchera: “If it were not for the programme, many of our students may never have met, and so now that the Africa Centre has brought them together, they should make the magic happen!”

With students focusing on topics relevant to their current jobs and personal passions, the scope is broad:

• Humanities students are looking at the socioeconomic aspects of managing HIV and Aids through various lenses, from access to mental healthcare and support to barriers and enablers around substance abuse, to knowledge and attitudes about HIV and Aids among teenagers.
• Among the doctors, nurses, and other health workers, topics include factors affecting ART adherence, the role of nurse educators, adherence to HIV perinatal guidelines, and awareness of HIV prophylaxis.
• From a legal perspective, one of our students is investigating policies and legislation promoting economic empowerment, food security, and nutrition of women and girls.