Dr Tulia to grace Academic Freedom Conference at UDSM

DAR ES SALAAM: The Speaker of the National Assembly and President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Dr Tulia Ackson, will officially open the four-day conference on Academic Freedom in Africa at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) on Tuesday.

The conference, organised in collaboration with the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), will run until Friday this week.

The event is set to bring together approximately 200 participants, including 100 delegates from various African countries and over 100 participants from within Tanzania.

Attendees will include leading scholars, researchers, students, policymakers, diplomats, and representatives from regional and international institutions.

A Senior Lecturer at UDSM, Dr Ngwanza Kamata stated that the conference aims to revisit the Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility (1990), reflecting on its legacy, relevance, and applicability to the contemporary challenges facing higher education and knowledge production in Africa.

“The Kampala Declaration was adopted in November 1990 during a historic symposium organized by CODESRIA and other pan-African intellectual bodies in Kampala, Uganda. The conference seeks to provide a platform for critical discussions on the challenges and opportunities related to academic freedom in Africa, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding intellectual autonomy and promoting social responsibility within academic institutions,” Dr Kamata explained.

Additionally, Dr Kamata emphasized that the conference will not only revisit the Kampala Declaration but also aim to revise and update it by adopting an addendum that addresses the complexities of the contemporary African and global contexts.

On his part, a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Anthropology at UDSM, Dr Richard Sambaiga shared that over 60 scholarly papers and presentations will be delivered across nine plenary sessions and 18 parallel panels during the four days of the conference.

“The conference will also feature a special book launch of the 50th anniversary edition of Class Struggles in Tanzania by Professor Emeritus Issa Shivji, a landmark contribution to liberation thought,” Dr Sambaiga noted.

CODESRIA’s Programme Manager for Training, Grants and Fellowships, Dr Bertha Kibona emphasized their commitment to establishing a sustainable program focused on academic freedom.

“Through discussions with academics from across Africa, we aim to share experiences and address the challenges faced within the continent. Our goal is to implement measures that will improve the situation and promote positive change throughout Africa,” Dr Kibona stressed, adding, “We are determined to move forward together.”

This conference represents a pivotal moment for academic freedom and the future of higher education across Africa.