SCOPE OF AGNETA

Mission statement

The Centre of African-German Network for Academic Writing Excellence in the Humanities (AGNETA) is a platform for mentoring junior scientists in view of preparing them for successful Humboldt applications. AGNETA works with PhD students and PhD holders, who are looking forward for post-doctoral opportunities in Germany in the following areas: languages & general linguistics, literatures, philosophy, history, law, film and theatre etc.

AGNETA activities

Senior scientists in the network:

  • contribute to the research of junior scientists by advising them on relevant literature, method etc.;
  • collaborate with junior scientists in writing and joint publications;
  • mediate academic text of junior scientists, targeting the specific requirements of journals (if research articles) and the Humboldt Foundation (if projects)
  • link junior scientists to other scholars, both local and distant
  • share their research and publication experiences with junior scientists;
  • share information about local and transnational conferences, publishing opportunities
  • search academic hosts in Germany for Humboldt applicants
  • share academic materials such as journals articles, books etc.

 Partners

AGNETA links scholars and junior scientists from universities in five African countries (Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania), but not limited to them; and the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany.

Prof. Dr Daniel A. Nkemleke, coordinator

Department of English

Ecole Normale Supérieure

University of Yaoundé I

Email: nkemlekedan@yahoo.com

Prof. Dr. Josef Schmied, German partner and academic adviser

English Language & Linguistics

Chemnitz University of Technology

D-09107 Chemnitz

Office: Reichenhainer Straße 39 / 222

Phone: +49 371/531-34226

Fax:  +49 371/531-834226

Email: josef.schmied@phil.tu-chemnitz.de

http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/phil/english/schmied

Dr Alexandria Esimaje, representative for Nigeria

Senior Scientist and DAAD Alumni

Benson Idahosa University

Benin City, Nigeria

Email: alexandra.esimaje@live.com

Dr Dunlop Ochieng, representative for Tanzania

Senior Scientist and KAAD Alumni

The Open University of Tanzania

Email: dunotis@yahoo.com

Dr Jacinta Edusei, representative for Ghana

Junior Scientist and PhD student

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

E-Mail: jaccint2001@yahoo.co.uk

Prof. Peter Tirop Simatei, representative for Keya

Senior scientist and DAAD Alumni

Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya

Email: tpsimatei@hotmail.com

Objectives

  • identify potential junior scientists in the target universities in Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania, in the humanities, and link them in a mentoring group forum via email, telephone and web portal
  • achieve a reasonable increase in successful applications for the Alexander von Humboldt scholarships in the humanities from Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania in the short run
  • sustain academic dialogue with Chemnitz University of Technology and other partners in Germany, on research and publication opportunities in Germany, for the benefit of junior scientists, in view of preparing them for the Humboldt postdoc scholarships in the long run

News and events

  • Dr. Daniel A. Nkemleke, Director of the Centre was awarded one of the three prizes for the Humboldt Alumni Network Initiative for 2014 in a colourful ceremony in Berlin, June 4, 2014.
  • A Humboldt-Symposium was organized in the Chemnitz University of Technology on June 6, 2014 by the Department of English Language & Linguistics to honor the prize ( http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/phil/english/ling/CultLangConference2014.php).
  • A key note paper was presented by Prof. Dr. Harald Clahsen, who is Humboldt Professor and currently heads the Potsdam Research Institute for Multilingualism (PRIM). Also in attendance were 04 other Humboldt scholars working in and around Chemnitz.
  • July 2015: International Symposium on academic and project writing in Cameroon
  • Two junior scientists in the network have successfully defended their PhD theses: one in Nigeria (Dr Obiageli Nnamani, Enugu State University) and the other in Cameroon (Dr Layi Butake, University of Yaoundé 1).