CRC-TRR 228 Future Rural Africa
DFG funded Collaborative Research Centre. @unicologne.bsky.social, @unibonn.bsky.social, @idos-research.bsky.social, @bicc-bonn.bsky.social & partners in Ke, Tz, Nm, Bot, SA. Future-making & social-ecological transformation in rural Africa.➡️ www.crc228.de
- New Publication: Women’s off-farm employment in rural Tanzania and Zambia is associated with improved dietary quality, can help increase household income & reduce widespread gender gaps. Read the full article by Chrispinus Mutsami, Martin C. Parlasca and Matin Qaim: crc-trr228.de/womens-off-f...
- New Publication: Women’s off-farm employment in rural Tanzania and Zambia is associated with improved dietary quality, can help increase household income & reduce widespread gender gaps. Read the full article by Chrispinus Mutsami, Martin C. Parlasca and Matin Qaim: crc-trr228.de/womens-off-f...
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- New Publication: Valentine Opanga & Detlef Müller-Mahn reframe land cartels in Nairobi not as anomalies, but as structurally embedded actors in the city’s urban metabolism. Their research calls for moving beyond legality/illegality binaries. ➡️ crc-trr228.de/power-land-a...
- New Publication: Valentine Opanga & Detlef Müller-Mahn reframe land cartels in Nairobi not as anomalies, but as structurally embedded actors in the city’s urban metabolism. Their research calls for moving beyond legality/illegality binaries. ➡️ crc-trr228.de/power-land-a...
- New Publication: Uroš Kovač examines stalled construction projects in Kenya—focusing on the suspended renovation of Kamariny Stadium—to show how “suspension” functions as a political and social process rather than mere failure. Read it here ➡️ crc-trr228.de/new-publicat...
- Wage jobs remain scarce in rural Africa—and most pay below minimum wages. Based on new survey evidence from 4 countries, our study with @zefbonn.bsky.social highlights poor working conditions outside the public sector & urgent need to improve rural labor markets. ➡️ crc-trr228.de/beyond-farmi...
- The Cologne International Forum @unicologne.bsky.social will be awarding five project grants (€ 15,000 each) for project-related innovative tandem collaborations between University of Cologne-based academics and international junior researchers. More info ➡️ crc-trr228.de/cologne-inte...
- Apply now! ➡️ crc-trr228.de/available-po...
- New publication: Valentine Opanga @zefbonn.bsky.social & Prince Guma @cam.ac.uk show how “greening” in informal settlements in Nairobi isn’t always green—it's often tied to power, displacement, and deepening inequality. More: crc-trr228.de/new-study-re...
- We are thrilled to announce that @dfg.de has awarded us funding for another four years! The third and final project phase will begin in 2026 and last until the end of 2029. More: crc-trr228.de/crc-trr-228-...
- New Publication: Saymore Ngonidzashe Kativu @idos-research.bsky.social explores how smallholder farmers in Mbeya, Tanzania navigate conflicting sustainability logics—market-driven vs. eco-cultural—through hybrid farming practices and everyday sensemaking. ➡️ crc-trr228.de/new-study-re...
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- New Publication: From colonial dreams to Magufuli’s industrial vision, the story of the Stiegler’s Gorge Dam on the Rufiji River reveals how power, politics, and conservation have shaped Tanzania’s development path. Read it here: crc-trr228.de/reviving-a-g...
- New Publication: How did colonial histories shape today’s global policies on foot-and-mouth disease? @wissevanengelen.bsky.social, Andreas Weber & @estherturnhout.bsky.social trace how veterinarians in 1960s–70s Botswana redefined FMD: Read it here:
- New Publication: Using the Nature Futures Framework, Judith Musa, Vincent Moseti & @lisabiberfreuden.bsky.social , explore how road infrastructure shapes local communities’ sense of agency in building nature-positive futures in Namibia’s KAZA region. ➡️ crc-trr228.de/new-study-re...
- Borders in Africa are lived, not just drawn. Katrin Sowa's @unicologne.bsky.social new book explores Kenya’s borderlands, colonial legacies, and One Stop Border Posts—shaping trade, migration, and inequality. More: crc-trr228.de/enforcing-th...
- New study from Turiani, Tanzania with @idos-research.bsky.social: Smallholder farmers blend indigenous & modern agri-tech into unique local knowledge. Findings highlight the need to validate & support indigenous practices & rethink innovation from the ground up: crc-trr228.de/new-publicat...
- Green Hydrogen from Namibia – A New Chapter of German Colonial History? Activists from Namibia are on a speakers tour in Cologne to discuss the tensions between “green” cooperation & old colonial patterns. 🗣️ Dr. Linus Kalvelage, Nafi Hamukoshi & Paul Thomas Event in EN / translations to German ⬇️⬇️
- New publication 📖 This chapter explores how international initiatives like the Balkan Silk Road (BRI) & SAGCOT reshape territorial governance. How do foreign-led infrastructure & private strategies affect state sovereignty? Can strong sovereignty coexist with weak governance? More ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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- New publication: Annapia Debarry & Valentine Opanga explore urban research through feminist & decolonial lenses, highlighting invisibility of marginalized communities in Nairobi & Addis Ababa. Read it here:
- Vacancy: Professorship in Economic Geography and Global South (W1) with tenure track (W3) (f/m/d) @unicologne.bsky.social. More:
- New Publication: Chrispinus Mutsami, Martin C. Parlasca & Matin Qaim (Project C08 & @zefbonn.bsky.social) examine livelihoods in rural Africa. Findings show: - Poorest rely most on farming - Self-employment dominates off-farm work - Education & infrastructure boost access Read full study here:
- Der @daadworldwide.bsky.social vermittelt nordamerikanische, britische und irische Bachelorstudierende in den Natur- und Ingenieurwissenschaften sowie Informatik in Forschungspraktika an deutsche Hochschulen und Forschungseinrichtungen. Infos zur Teilnahme: ➡️ crc-trr228.de/rise-germany...
- Congratulations to Frankline Ndi (project C02 "Energy Futures") for receiving the @giubresearch.bsky.social International Paper Award! His article examines land acquisition and displacement in the context of the Kipeto wind energy project in Kenya. More ➡️ crc-trr228.de/frankline-nd...
- Congratulations to Thomas Widlok (Project C05 Framing Futures) for receiving the Leo-Spitzer Prize for outstanding academic work in the humanities! More ➡️ crc-trr228.de/thomas-widlo...
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- We recently visited the Global Heritage Lab @unibonn.bsky.social, exploring the exhibition "Dressing Resistance" with Prof. Julia Binter. A timely exchange on decolonizing heritage—especially as we plan our own exhibition with @futuriumd.bsky.social in 2026. More:
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- Youjin B. Chung, Marjorie Mbilinyi & Emmanuel Sulle trace how sugar & plantations shaped state-building in Tanzania—not just for exports, but as strategic staples. Colonial & postcolonial policies transformed land, labor & livelihoods, reinforcing race, gender & class hierarchies. Full article 👇👇👇
- Congratulations! 🎉👏🎊
- Very happy and proud to share that today I’ve successfully defended my dissertation. So grateful to the @unibonn.bsky.social @giubresearch.bsky.social @crctrr228.bsky.social, my supervisors, reviewers and wonderful colleagues in Bonn who guided and supported me over the last three years!
- 🟢 How does spatial planning shape the green hydrogen boom? In a new study, Benedikt Walker, Britta Klagge & Ravn Haid explore how Chile, Namibia & South Africa plan for export-oriented green hydrogen projects. Read it here ➡️ crc-trr228.de/planning-the...
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- Scholarships available for PhD students from Africa, Asia & Latin America (enrolled at a German university) to join the RLC Workshop on Rural Development & Smallholder Agriculture @zefbonn.bsky.social, Sept 29–Oct 2, 2025. 📅 Apply by July 15, 2025 More info 👉 crc-trr228.de/call-for-wor...
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- New research by Eric Kioko & Winnie Changwony explores how megaprojects like Kenya’s LAPSSET corridor disrupt land tenure & power in rural Africa. Study highlights land privatization, conflict & the overlooked impacts on community-managed conservation areas. Read it here: ⬇️⬇️⬇️
- 📱 Planning Smart, Working Hard Gideon Tups & Astrid Matejcek uncover the hidden labor behind "smart" digital connectivity in rural Tanzanian agriculture. Two case studies reveal the gap between tech promises and the hard work that powers them. 📰 ➡️ crc-trr228.de/new-publicat...
- 🎬 Mtu ni Watu premieres June 23, 2025 @ Off-Broadway Cinema, Cologne! Part of the Tandem Project by Hauke-Peter Vehrs & Richard Kiaka, film spotlights vital but often overlooked role of research assistants in ethnographic research. 🎟️ : Glaskasten, @unicologne.bsky.social More info & trailer 👇
- Linus Kalvelage & Benedikt Walker have received the Journal of Economic Geography Best Early Career Paper Prize! Their award-winning paper explores Germany’s strategic role in Namibia’s green hydrogen sector. Read it here👇👇👇
- 🌍🌿 Klimaschutz vs. Naturschutz? Liana Kindermann erörtert in ihrem Essay die Zielkonflikte zwischen Klimaschutz und Naturschutz in afrikanischen Savannen & zeigt jene komplexen Zusammenhänge auf, die das lokale Ökosystem in globale Debatten einbetten. 📰 👇👇👇
- Thank you for for sharing your insights with us in the Future Rural Africa Lecture Series, Franklin Obeng-Odoom! Stay tuned for more lectures: ➡️ crc-trr228.de/crc-lecture-...
- Reposted by CRC-TRR 228 Future Rural Africa++Would you like to conduct your PhD?🎓++ Scholarships available - We are searching for young talents for doctoral research in sustainable development Apply now! Deadline August 31, 2025 ➡️https://bit.ly/ZEF-PhD-2025 #phd #promotion #academia @daadworldwide.bsky.social @unibonn.bsky.social
- Congratulations to Mfundo Mlilo for receiving the 2024 Geoforum Best Student Paper Award for his publication "Coloniality of power and the imaginaries of tourism in Victoria Falls" co-authored with Javier Revilla Diez and Michael Bollig 🎉👏 Read it here: ➡️ crc-trr228.de/mfundo-mlilo...
- Congrats to Thomas Widlok (Project C05 Framing Futures) on receiving the Leo-Spitzer Prize from @unicologne.bsky.social for outstanding work in the humanities! 🎉👏👏 📸 Widlok (3rd from right) with Rector Mukherjee (centre) & fellow 2025 prize winners. More: ➡️ crc-trr228.de/thomas-widlo...
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- More ➡️https://crc-trr228.de/new-publication-how-land-use-change-shapes-carbon-storage-in-african-savannas/
- We co-hosted a dissemination workshop in Dodoma together with @idos-research.bsky.social, SUA, Mzumbe, @bicc.de, JOOUST & JKUAT. Event brought together scholars, ministries & policymakers to discuss rural development futures. 🎥 Watch the recap here: ➡️ crc-trr228.de/disseminatio...
- Director of @idos-research.bsky.social and researcher in our subproject B05 Science Futures @akhornidge.bsky.social shares insights from AITEC, a medium scale farm in Dodoma, Tanzania, where research, training, and value chain development come together to strengthen local agriculture.
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- New Publication: Kenya’s push for renewable energy is powering progress — but what about the unseen impacts? This paper dives into the Menengai geothermal project to uncover how clean energy is reshaping land, livelihoods, and local communities. 📰➡️ crc-trr228.de/new-publicat...
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- How have West African states tried to break free from colonial economic legacies? @kaikodden.bsky.social takes us for a deep dive into earnest struggles for structural transformation in Senegal, Ghana, Guinea & Nigeria—spanning independence, SAPs, & beyond! ➡️ crc-trr228.de/crc-trr-publ...
- From the Rift Valley to Vienna, Kampala, and Nairobi. In a new blog post, researcher Tasneem Osman @zefbonn.bsky.social reflects on fieldwork, interdisciplinary science, and the power of global networks. ➡️ crc-trr228.de/bridging-sci...
- New Publication: How Kenya's SGR affected land tenure and dispossession in Voi town. Group tenure—especially through Community Land Trusts—provides stronger protection against dispossession than private land titles. More: 📰➡️ crc-trr228.de/new-publicat...
- Reposted by CRC-TRR 228 Future Rural AfricaCelebrate the launch of the special issue "Framing Difference in Age and Generation in Africa" @njas.fi with us! Issue edited by Project C05 Framing Futures. 📅 9 April 2025 I 10-11:30 (CEST) 📍 Department of African Studies @unicologne.bsky.social & online via Zoom ➡️ crc-trr228.de/hybrid-event...
- Reposted by CRC-TRR 228 Future Rural AfricaNew post on our Rewilding Blog! In this one, Pierre du Plessis and I explore Botswana and its foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) 'red zone' as two layers of a European shadow ecology: rewilding.de/shadows-with...
- Reposted by CRC-TRR 228 Future Rural AfricaThis one has been a long time coming, but it’s finally here: my first academic paper as first author. @annetpauwelussen.bsky.social, @estherturnhout.bsky.social and I explore how conservation-tourism partnerships are neither win-win nor win-lose situations: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
