Formally launched in November 2024, AFRIAK is a learning and mentorship programme dedicated to nurturing a new generation of African researchers and practitioners who work alongside indigenous knowledge keepers to generate transformative ideas, solutions and pathways for the continent’s future.
The fellowship is inspired by and honours the legacy of Dr Sulley Gariba, a Ghanaian intellectual whose work championed indigenous knowledge and evaluation in Africa. AFRIAK continues this vision by ensuring that African knowledge systems are not only preserved, but actively mobilised for the continent’s transformation.
In March 2026, Dr Bhuda joined academics from across Africa for a month-long programme that included workshops, research presentations and campus engagements.
“The programme was launched with a mandate to strengthen research and training rooted in indigenous and endogenous knowledge perspectives. It affirmed that my work on Indigenous Knowledge Systems, pedagogy and curriculum transformation is aligned with a broader continental agenda,” said Dr Bhuda.
She explained that the initiative also encourages the application of Indigenous knowledge within local contexts, while assessing how such knowledge can contribute to growth in priority sectors and stimulate economic activity that creates dignified livelihoods for African youth and their communities.
“Being at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology for the residency, this broader vision immediately became tangible,” she said.
Highlights of Dr Bhuda's visit included seminars, field visits and cultural site engagements.
Dr Bhuda added that the orientation sessions, campus tour and initial workshops introduced her to the MMUST–AFRIAK Hub and its intellectual grounding.
“The programme structure, together with the local institutional and cultural context, and early inputs on CODESRIA’s tradition, Pan-Africanism and AFRIAK’s intellectual positioning, situated my fellowship within a lineage committed to epistemic justice and decolonial knowledge production.
Presenting my research concept on accredited Indigenous Knowledge Systems programmes in South African universities, and receiving rigorous feedback, pushed me to refine my problem statement, theoretical framing and methodology,” she said.
Reflecting on the experience, Dr Bhuda highlighted a rich combination of thematic seminars, field visits, cultural site engagements and structured writing sessions.
“The experience deepened my theoretical framework, advanced my literature review and consolidated my empirical work. Sustained interactions with Indigenous knowledge holders and fellow scholars from across the continent sharpened my understanding of knowledge as lived, relational and embedded, and strengthened my commitment to ethical, co-produced and community-grounded research.
The Kigali induction and the MMUST residency mark a continuum in my AFRIAK journey. From selection and affirmation, to induction and orientation, to a transformative residency that has clarified my scholarly identity and long-term contribution to Indigenous and Alternative Knowledges in Africa,” said Dr Bhuda.
Story by Lisa Thabethe. Pictures supplied. Copyright © UMP.