Best postgraduate student oral presentation, College of Medicine - National Aids Commission of Malawi Research Dissemination Conference!

Herbert Longwe has won the best postgraduate student oral presentation at the joint College of Medicine – National Aids Commission of Malawi Research Dissemination Conference.  Longwe is a CARTA fellow of the University of Malawi, cohort 2.

Herbert Longwe

The event is an annual event hosted by the College of Medicine (CoM) to disseminate research findings by researchers from the College of Medicine, local research institutions and international collaborators.   This year, the event took place from November 22 -23 at Crossroads Hotel, Lilongwe. The theme of the conference was Towards 2015 'Success and Challenges of Health and HIV & AIDS Research in the Context of Millenium Goals'.  Longwe was happy to have won the award saying that the occasion was “Putting CARTA on the Map”

The University of the Witwatersrand graduates two CARTA PhD fellows

https://www.facebook.com/CARTAfrica2013

CARTA visits the African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education ANAFE

CARTA and ANAFE staff.  Seated on the front, Ms. Machiya (left) and Dr. Yaye 

A team of CARTA staff paid a visit to the African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) on October 29, 2013.  ANAFE is a network of 134 member institutions (universities and colleges) in 35 African countries teaching agriculture and natural resource sciences.  ANAFE is supported by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and Sida.

The visit was to learn ANAFE’s approach on Result Based Management (RBM) framework and understand ways in which the framework contributes to effective outcome reporting for ANAFE. It aimed at promoting cross learning among Sida supported institutions and also to develop synergies and interrogate possible areas of collaboration given the similarities between CARTA and ANAFE. 

ANAFE was represented by Dr Aissetou Drama Yaye,  the Executive Secretary, James Aucha, the Programme Officer and Alfred Oduor, Communications Officer.  CARTA team included Mercy Machiya, the Program Manager, Makau Ngola, Communications Officer and Thomas Yebei, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. Dr Yaye gave an historical background of ANAFE and the relationship ANAFE has with different funders among them Sida. The discussions focused on Sida’s engagement with ANAFE in development of the ANAFE RBM framework.

Dr Yaye gave a detailed account of the steps taken in the development of the ANAFE RBM citing the invaluable guidance given by Associates for International Management Services (AIMS).  She noted that AIMS worked hand in hand with ANAFE to finalize the RBM which was approved by Sida. At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that both ANAFE and CARTA should continue collaborating on the RBM towards the finalization for the CARTA RBM

Andrea Johnson, Program Officer, Carnegie Corporation of New York visits CARTA

Andrea Johnson, Program Officer, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Higher Education and Libraries in Africa, paid a courtesy call to the CARTA Program on November 2013.  Ms. Johnson met with the CARTA staff who briefed her on the activities, achievements, challenges and lessons learned in the implementation of the CARTA Program.  She commented the CARTA Program, noting that it was on course in achieving its objectives as seen by the impact the Program had in its institutions.  CARTA has enrolled 91 PhD fellows well within its stated objective, she noted.

Ms. Johnson (Second from Right) in a discussion with CARTA staff, November 2013.

CARTA staff presented the next Phase of the Program which would require donor support in securing the future of CARTA PhD graduates by offering further opportunities such as re-entry grants and postdoctoral fellowships.  Ms. Johnson was impressed by plans CARTA had for its graduates. She shared with CARTA, Carnegie’s focus areas of assistance. CARTA promised to reprogram its future activities to  continue benefiting from Carnegie’s support.

Joint Advanced Seminar 2 (JAS 2), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg on November 18 - December 12, 2013.

CARTA Cohort 3 started their Joint Advanced Seminar 2 (JAS 2) at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg on November 18, 2013.  JAS-2 focuses on data management and analysis. Fellows will learn how to use software packages for qualitative and quantitative data management and analyses.  Practice sessions will be provided where fellows will be introduced use of real research data employing current software packages.

Some Cohort 3 Fellows during JAS 1,Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, March 2013

JAS 2 will run for four weeks, ending on December 12, 2013. It is being coordinated by leading facilitators drawn from CARTA partner institutions and coordinated by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.  JAS 2 for cohort 3 is attended by 23 fellows from CARTA partner institutions.

Earlier in the year, cohort 3 fellows had met in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for JAS 1 where they were taken through learning sessions to build on their critical thinking, enhance technical skills, and other core research competencies.  They were introduced essential concepts and seminal articles in the areas of population and health.

JAS 2 will be followed by JAS 3 in 2015 and JAS 4 IN 2016