Online Training Workshop Organized by Southern Journal for Contemporary History in in Collaboration with Africa Oxford Initiative, University of Oxford

Why MENA Scholars and African History?

The inclusion of marginalised voices of young scholars from North Africa and the Middle East (MENA) in African History is vital for the deconstruction of Eurocentric views and regionally fragmented historical narratives between Africa’s North and “Sub-Saharan”.

Thus, bridging the divide between northern and southern Africa will contribute to creating fresh insights into understanding the transnational history of the continent. Tailoring a workshop to train young scholars who are willing to address these gaps by providing them with the fundamental skills and tools to introduce their works in Africa-based international journals. By offering this training workshop, it will mainly enable MENA and Sub-Saharan African historians to collaboratively rethink the African historiography, which will lead to a new understanding in dealing with African history from transnational and global contexts.

This Workshop is a collaborative initiative between the Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx) at the University of Oxford and the Southern Journal of Contemporary History (SJCH), designed to empower young scholars from the MENA region to publish their works on African History internationally. Participants will benefit from experienced editors, reviewers and historians with diverse experiences. Training sessions focus on addressing practical insights into academic writing, peer review and ethical guidelines. These foundations will be followed by in-depth training on challenges of doing transnational and global history related to Africa, overcoming the language barriers, and contextualising MENA-Africa connections within a global historical context.

This workshop is open to early-career scholars who meet the following criteria: Currently
enrolled in postgraduate studies (MA or PhD), OR early career scholars within 5 years of completing their
PhD; Affiliated with an academic institution in the MENA region; Conducting research related to
contemporary African history; and showing interest in publishing in international journals.

Applicants must submit: Current CV (2 pages maximum), Research abstract (300 words) of their current project, and a completed application. Registration for participants will be available through the following Google form:  https://forms.gle/KxLEE831P3mSpJbi9

Application deadline: 23rd of June 2025

Notification of acceptance: 1st of July 2025

Workshop Dates: 7th and 8th of July 2025