Thirty-two young African researchers from 14 countries are currently enhancing their research and analytical capabilities at the 2025 Afrobarometer English-language Summer School and Thematic Workshop, held at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Notably, more than half of the participants are women, reflecting Afrobarometer’s strong commitment to empowering women in research and data analysis.
Afrobarometer’s Summer School offers an introductory course designed to equip budding scholars with critical skills in research design, survey methodology, and data analysis. The program focuses on a range of key areas, including public attitudes toward democracy, governance, climate change, military rule, free trade, refugees, healthcare, and women’s participation. Running from January 13 to 31, the Summer School provides participants with the opportunity to explore these subjects in-depth, utilizing Afrobarometer’s extensive datasets to produce valuable insights into Africa’s political and social dynamics.
Following the Summer School, the Thematic Workshop, which takes place from January 20 to February 2, aims to advance the participants’ data collection and analysis techniques, pushing them to engage in more complex research activities. This two-week workshop fosters the development of more nuanced research projects while creating networks that link African institutions, facilitating knowledge-sharing and collaboration across the continent.
Jason Owen, Afrobarometer’s Capacity Building Manager for the advanced track, emphasized the dual importance of both the Summer School and the Workshop in cultivating a new generation of African scholars. He noted that the programs aim not only to build research capacity but also to amplify African voices in global policymaking by providing data-driven analysis. “By building a new generation of scholars and facilitating the production of analytical outputs that make use of Afrobarometer’s extensive open access datasets, we continue to contribute to data-driven policymaking across the continent,” Owen explained.
Participants like Ruth Nakayima, a research assistant and communication officer from Uganda, are already seeing the transformative potential of the program. “As a humanitarian and development communication specialist, I work with communities and policymakers to address political engagement issues among refugees and internally displaced people. This workshop will build my capacities to understand geopolitics and to use data for social development,” Nakayima shared.
Afrobarometer’s extensive dataset is widely respected for its accuracy and depth, with over 380,000 interviews conducted across 42 countries, representing 80% of the African population. The data generated through these efforts are instrumental in producing key global indices such as the Ibrahim Index of African Governance and Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer, among others. By filling a critical data gap, Afrobarometer is supporting both informed policymaking and broader socio-economic development across Africa.
