At the European Conference of African Studies in Prague in June 2025, several NAI researchers presented their work in areas including climate justice, peace and security, social media movements, violence against women in politics, environment protection, and much more! We managed to interview some of them in between sessions, please see the videos below.

“We must ensure that climate change adaptation is equitable and just”

At ECAS2025, NAI's head of research Eleanor Fisher spoke about why climate adaptation must not leave the most vulnerable behind.

In this interview, she reflects on how international frameworks like the Paris Agreement embed equity — and why that matters in practice. From policy design to local implementation, justice and inclusion are key to meaningful transformation.

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“Indigenous initiatives should be the foundation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda”

At the conference, NAI Senior Researcher Diana Højlund Madsen reflected on the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Africa, 25 years after UN Resolution 1325 was passed. While progress has been made — especially in terms of participation — challenges remain when it comes to ownership and local relevance.

In this interview, she raises important questions: Whose agenda is this, and where does it truly belong? With institutions in New York, the African Union, national governments — or local women’s organisations?

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Young Kenyans use social media platforms as a means to critique, educate, analyze and debate

NAI researcher Martins Kwazema shared insights from his research on how social media is transforming political expression among youth in Kenya.

In this interview, he reflects on how platforms like TikTok — once seen as a space mainly for entertainment — have become powerful tools for shaping new political identities.

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How did urban elites in Ghana become champions for the environment, and can they make an impact?

At ECAS2025, NAI Visiting Fellow George M. Bob-Milliar shared insights into how Ghanaian urban elites are mobilizing around environmental degradation — particularly the destruction of forest reserves.

In this interview, he explains why environmental sustainability is gaining political traction in Ghana, why it matters, and how this budding movement can achieve more impact.

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Young women politicians highly susceptible to online violence

At the conference, NAI's researcher Shingirai Mtero discussed gendered electoral violence — a form of political violence that specifically targets women, to prevent them from campaigning, being elected, or even entering the political space at all.

In our conversation with Mtero, she reflects on findings from her research on women politicians in Zimbabwe, where gender intersects with political affiliation, ethnicity, and class to shape women’s vulnerability to violence during elections.

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“Identifying the right journal for the kind of research that you are doing is key”

In our conversation with George M. Bob-Milliar at ECAS2025, he shared valuable advice for early-career researchers navigating the world of academic publishing.

The pressure to publish can be intense — and so can the risk of falling into the hands of predatory journals. Bob-Milliar emphasizes the importance of choosing the right journal, one that aligns with your research and offers a credible platform for your work.