Deadline: 10 June 2022.
Call for applications for the Afronomicslaw Academic Forum 2022 – (Southern Africa)
The Afronomicslaw Academic Forum is a network of students, early-career researchers, and early-career practitioners interested in international economic law as it relates to Africa and the Global South. The Forum is led by its own members, who coordinate a wide range of programming to support the professional development and intellectual growth of members over the course of one year.
The Southern African wing of the Afronomicslaw Academic Forum was established in 2021. The first cohort consisted of 36 members from nine countries across Southern Africa. Collectively, the members studied at 26 different universities, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge not only on international economic law and how it intersects with topical issues in their host countries, but also on the limits of how international economic law is taught at universities on the continent. Members work in government, international and domestic organisations, private law firms, universities and elsewhere, or they are students. Their interests are diverse, but they coalesce around a deep commitment to understanding (and changing) how international economic law impacts, and is impacted by, Southern Africa, Africa and the global South more broadly.
The Southern African Regional Board, which is the leadership of the Forum in Southern Africa, is looking for students, early-career researchers, and early-career practitioners from the whole Southern African region who are passionate about international economic law to join the Forum as part of its second cohort.
Benefits – Call for applications for the Afronomicslaw Academic Forum 2022
- Monthly substantive lectures with renowned scholars (usually on the 1st Saturday of each month)
- Monthly presentations by members on a key theoretical / foundational influence on their work (usually on the 2nd Thursday evening of each month)
- Monthly Key Skills workshops on academic research and publishing (usually on the 3rd Saturday of each month)
- Structured editorial support for the researching, writing, presenting and publishing of a short symposium paper for the Afronomicslaw Academic Forum Annual Conference
- Ongoing mentorship from leaders in academia, government and legal practice
- Ongoing career support for accessing postgraduate degree and career opportunities
- A diverse network of like-minded individuals from across Africa.
Applications are being accepted for Regional Representatives and Regional Editors.
Regional Representatives
Regional Representatives are undergraduate law students, graduate students, and early career researchers and practitioners who have a demonstrated interest in international economic law as it relates to Africa and the global South, and who will benefit from all programming organised by the Regional Board and/or the Editors of AfronomicsLaw.org (e.g. workshops, lectures, writing symposia etc.)
In order to obtain a certificate of completion at the end of the year, Regional Representatives must:
- Attend at least two-thirds (66%) of events (e.g. substantive lectures/Key Skills workshops/member presentations) organised by the Regional Board and/or the editors of AfronomicsLaw.org
- Participate in the annual writing symposium (including the submission of various drafts of their paper to Regional Editors on time and making edits as necessary)
- Deliver one informal presentation over the course of the year on a theoretical / foundational influence in their work
- Meet with their mentor at least once every quarter
- Moderate one guest lecture over the course of the year OR write one short reflection piece on a lecture/Key Skills workshop over the course of the year
- In discharging assigned tasks, members are expected to work consistently, punctually and to an excellent
standard.
Eligibility Criteria for Regional Representatives
Eligible candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Be from a country in Southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, or Zimbabwe)
- Be a law student (undergraduate or graduate) or an early-career legal researcher or practitioner
- Have a demonstrable interest in international economic law as it relates to Africa and the Global South
Regional Editors
Regional Editors are advanced PhD students or Doctorate holders who have publishing experience in the field of international economic law, or candidates with comparable expertise.
Regional Editors participate in many of the same activities as Regional Representatives, but in addition they lead Key Skills workshops on research and writing for Regional Representatives, edit Regional Representatives’ work, and provide other editorial support for the Forum. As a result of this extra responsibility, and in recognition of their advanced subject knowledge, Regional Editors are not required to attend as many Forum events.
In order to obtain a certificate of completion at the end of the year, Regional Editors must:
- Attend at least one half (50%) of events (e.g. substantive lectures/Key Skills workshops/member presentations) organised by the Regional Board and/or the editors of AfronomicsLaw.org
- Provide ongoing editorial support to two Regional Representatives as they prepare their symposium submissions over the course of the year
- Peer-review up to four short symposium papers after their final submission
- Prepare and run one Key Skills workshop over the course of the year on a topic such as research, writing, theory, teaching, or conference presentations
- Meet with their mentor at least once every quarter
- Provide editing support and guidance for ad hoc writing projects that Regional Representatives carry out as members of the Forum
In discharging assigned tasks, members are expected to work consistently, punctually and to an excellent
standard.
Eligibility Criteria for Regional Editors
Eligible candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Be from a country in Southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, or Zimbabwe)
- Be an advanced PhD student, Doctorate holder, early-to-mid career researcher, or someone with comparable research experience
- Have published in at least one peer-reviewed academic journal
- Have a demonstrable interest in international economic law as it relates to Africa and the Global South
How To Apply for the Call for applications for the Afronomicslaw Academic Forum 2022
To become a member of the Academic Forum, applicants should submit:
- a statement of interest in English which indicates which position the applicant is applying for (Regional Representative or Regional Editor) and shows how the applicant meets the eligibility criteria for that position, as outlined above (500 words maximum);
- a curriculum vitae with the names and contact details of two referees who can be contacted (three pages maximum). Referees will only be contacted for shortlisted applicants; and,
- a short paragraph stating their primary subject areas of interest (e.g. international trade law, tax law, sovereign debt, etc) and their preferred area of practice (academia, policy/advocacy or legal practice)
(two sentences maximum). [Note: this paragraph will not be used for selection purposes. It is merely to aid in the recruiting and allocation of appropriate mentors]
as PDF attachments to [email protected] by midnight South African Standard Time
(SAST) on Friday, 10 June 2022.
Applicants who are shortlisted will be invited for virtual interviews at a date and time to be communicated in due
course. Women and candidates from other marginalised groups are encouraged to apply.
An optional information session will be held over zoom on 31 May 2022 at 18:30 SAST. Click here to join the zoom
call, or use the following log in details: ID 872 3710 6038, password 022034
