I am doing a PhD in Environmental Policy at the University of Eastern Finland. I hold an MSc in Environment and Development from the University of Reading, UK. Research interests include the role of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in averting food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently studying online from Malawi but hope to be in Finland along the way once funding is secured.

Projects

Multimarket Competition Strategies of Mobile Network Operators in Sub-Saharan Africa

Cross-border Investment Location Choices and Competitive Interactions of Mobile Network Operators in Sub-Saharan Africa

Projects

Centre for the Promotion of Literacy in sub‐Saharan Africa (CAPOLSA)

Centre for the Promotion of Literacy in Sub-Saharan Africa (CAPOLSA), Phase II

My research interests include internal and cross-border displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa, politics of belonging, identity building and state formation. In my ethnographic Doctoral Study I use the return migration of Zimbabweans from neighbouring Southern African countries as an avenue for exploring the dynamics of returnee urban emplacement.

Dr. Ilkka Jormanainen is working as a senior researcher at the University of Eastern Finland, School of Computing. He is part of “Technologies for Learning and Development” research group. Dr. Jormanainen has a strong background on ICT4D research, and he has been involved in several education, research, and development initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. He was leading “Strengthening ICT in Education in Eritrea (ICT4EEDU)” project (2015-2018), funded by Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Jormanainen has published more than 60 internationally refereed book chapters, journal articles, and conference papers. He also holds a title of Docent (Adjunct Professor) at the University of Turku, Finland. He is currently supervising or co-supervising 11 PhD students, of which eight are from sub-Saharan Africa or are working with an ICT4D topic.

Access to water and sanitation services remains low for most sub-Saharan African countries, and the progress towards achievement of this access for all by 2030, as per the SDG targets is stunted. The state of low access to water and sanitation has dire socioeconomic repercussions that scientific research can contribute to untangling. My research aims at providing recommendations for enhanced citizen participation in water and sanitation services as a remedy to accelerate water and sanitation services development, the case of Kenya.

David Lawson is an applied development economist who works on issues of extreme and chronic poverty, gender, health and household shocks. He recently completed a term as Senior Researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala, and is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Helsinki, Associate Professor of Development Economics and Public Policy at the University of Manchester, and Visiting Professor at the University of International Business and Economics, Beijing. He has 25 years of applied public policy experience, in sub-Saharan Africa, as a resident advisor for the Governments of Ethiopia, Lesotho, and Uganda and advised extensively for DFID, OECD, UNECA, UNICEF, World Bank, among others. He has published widely with more than 100 publications and reports, including in leading peer-reviewed journals and six books that include the book series - What Works for the Poorest (Practical Action, 2010, 2017. 2020), and Gender, Poverty and Access to Justice: Policy Implementation in sub-Saharan Africa (Routledge, 2020).

Jutta Martens is writing her PhD research with to Tampere University, Tampere Peace Research Institute Tapri with a working title "Conflicting Norms in Peace Processes – Faith-based Leaders’ Perspectives and Roles in Achieving Lasting Peace". The PhD will be article-based. Ms. Martens has received funding for her study from Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, Tampere City Tiedeapuraha and from Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission FELM. Currently Ms. Martens is working as Programme Coordinator for Sub-Saharan Africa at Finn Church Aid. The idea is to conduct the PhD research also in collaboration with FCA.

State Petroleum Ownership in Sub-Saharan Africa and Fundamental Rights of Citizens: Lessons from Europe.

Current research on internationalization of higher education through North-South collaboration. Lead and participated in various collaboration projects with Universities from Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa and Eritrea.