UNAM Call for Papers: 8th Annual Research Conference
Conference Theme: “Directing research towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS) invites submission of abstracts of research based papers that relate to the theme ‘Directing research towards SDGs’ for its 8th Annual Research Conference. The conference will be held at the University of Namibia main Campus, UNAM Library Video Conference room from 13 to 14 October 2016.
The Conference is an annual event in FHSS that seeks to showcase research activities and share ideas amongst the staff members in the FHSS at UNAM and stakeholders relevant to the Namibian Society, Africa and the World. The conference’s core goal is to highlight how research in Humanities and Social Sciences can contribute to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. However, the theme is flexible enough to accept papers from other fields of study.
Subthemes
Papers can address subthemes in these categories:
- Social progression in the context of Namibia’s Harambee Prosperity Plan
- Poverty eradication
- Equitable quality education towards social empowerment
- Gender equality and empowerment of girls and women
- Language, literature and cultural heritage and their roles in sustainable development
- Climate change and sustainable environment
- The rhetoric of sustainable development
- Creative arts for economic sustainability
- Indigenous Knowledge management and development
- Media technology and community development
Rationale
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS) in 2010 adapted a Faculty’s research agenda which is based on research priorities developed by the University of Namibia. The research priorities are based on national development policies and programmes, such as Vision 2030, NDPs, and SDGs, among others. The FHSS research agenda seeks to affirm the role that the field of Humanities and Social Sciences plays in Namibia’s socio-cultural, human capital and economic development. Since then, the FHSS has organised a series of annual research conferences as a platform to showcase research activities, to celebrate recent research in the field of humanities and social sciences, and as an opportunity to disseminate knowledge through academic dialogue.
This year, as the world moves from Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Namibia’s development agenda was redirected towards the eradication of poverty in Namibia through the Harambee Prosperity Plan blueprint championed by the President H.E. Hage G. Geingob. Both the Harambee Blueprint and the SDGs are intended to address pressing socio-economic problems. Therefore, the FHSS hereby invites the submission of abstracts of papers to be presented at the Conference.
Abstracts Submissions
Abstracts of not more than 200 words should be sent to one of the Committee Members below:
Wilhelm Uutoni: wuutoni@unam.na
Tom Fox: tfox@unam.na
Closing date for Abstracts: 29 September 2016.
Prospective presenters are requested to deliver Abstracts within the specified time frame. All abstracts will be double-blind reviewed. Relevance to the themes of the conference, originality and applicability to the conference audience are key considerations in the acceptance of all submissions. Each presenter may participate in a maximum of two presentations as long as long as the second paper is under a different subtheme.
The organising committee will inform successful presenters. Please note that presenters are required to organise their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
The FHSS annual conference organising committee would like to thank you in advance for your contribution to the 8th FHSS Conference and look forward to having the opportunity to showcase and disseminate your research and as interested audience.