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Do you know the organs of the AU?
⦁ The Assembly
⦁ The Executive Council
⦁ Permanent Representative Committee
⦁ AU Commission
⦁ Regional Economic Communities
⦁ Specialized Technical Committee Unit
⦁ Legal, Judicial and Human Right bodies
⦁ Pan African Parliament
⦁ Peace and Security Council Unit
⦁ Financial Institutions Unit (including African Development Bank)
⦁ The Economic and Social Council
⦁ Ecosoc / Nepad Unit
⦁ African Peer Review Mechanism
⦁ African Peer Review Mechanism Unit
The AU and its Member States are under a lot of pressure – pressure to gain the respect of Africans and to deliver on their vast array of promises to the African peoples. It is the most maligned and misunderstood multilateral organisation in the world. Unfortunately, it has not done itself much favour by failing to properly articulate the many successes it has had over the years. And in today’s globalised world, been able to properly represent an organisation is of increasing importance. Our researchers look at the complex world in which the AU and its Member State find themselves in new and productive ways, often taking a multidisciplinary approach, and producing research and creative outputs of regional and international significance.
As part of our commitment to producing research of the highest quality we foster a dynamic and supportive research environment for research staff, our external experts, visiting scholars and many of the students sent to us on attachment. The Centre undertakes research activities in a diversity of research fields.
⦁ What is the African State?
⦁ The African Union
⦁ Regional Integration
⦁ Agenda 2063
⦁ Conflict and Violence
⦁ Human Security
⦁ Sustainable development
⦁ Media for Development and Human Security
⦁ Rule of law, corruption and ⦁ Governance
⦁ Education for Africa’s Youths
⦁ Justice and Human Rights
⦁ Democracy and good governance
⦁ Women’s Rights
⦁ Climate Change and Environmental Protection
⦁ Agriculture
⦁ Islamic Fundamentalism
⦁ Gender and Sexuality
⦁ Health and Nutrition
⦁ Small Business
⦁ Trade, Sustainable economic and social development
⦁ Funding the AU
⦁ Information Technology – Pathways to Sustainable Development
⦁ The promotion of research and technology
⦁ The reduction of preventable diseases
⦁ Societal and Political Transformations (regional and international relations and politics)
Aligned with these clusters the Centre is home to the AU Watch Institute of Development and Human Rights Studies and through an alignment with the Nelson Mandela Leadership Academy also hosts Businessworld Africa – a media platform for African businesses connecting and informing over 10,000,00 African-owned businesses. These research concentrations align with key research themes identified by the AU Watch Board and its Strategic Leadership Group as a way to focus on the grand challenges the AU and Africa faces in a rapidly changing world, and seek to provide avenues to engage meaningfully with the AU, the ordinary African who is affected by AU policy, scholars and organisations working on AU matters. Researchers at the Centre are particularly engaged in the following research themes:
In an interconnected globalised world, it is the mission of AU Watch Research and Consultancy Centre to be a regional and international leader in not only understanding what the AU organs and institutions are up to, but also shaping the agenda of the AU. The Centre works to improve understanding of how the organs and institutions of the AU work. In achieving these aims, the Centre is committed to sustained innovation and collaborative research, underpinned by an ethical and critical stance.
The mission of the Centre is four-fold:
⦁ To conduct internationally recognised research that improves understanding of how the AU organs and their institutions work and their relationships with civil society and the African peoples — the scholarship of discovery.
⦁ To apply politics, and culture based research to address real-regional problems, through regional and international collaborations, drawing on transdisciplinary networks — the scholarship of application.
⦁ To contribute to emerging and ongoing debates in the field, relating to policy, practice and theory in what the AU is doing or not doing in education, work and life — the scholarship of engagement.
⦁ To get Africans and the world wide community to develop a better understanding and appreciation of our AU organs and institutions — the scholarship of teaching and learning
Our research objectives are:
⦁ To carry out cutting edge, transdisciplinary research on AU organs and institutions which addresses real world problems in politics, democracy and governance, anti-corruption, human rights, development, climate change, education, small businesses, the role of youths and women and much more.
⦁ To expand our research program through regionally competitive research funding and strategic collaborations with AU Member States, CSOs, international organisations and other collaborators.
⦁ To disseminate the products of our research through high quality publications, presentations at national and international conferences and other appropriate means.
Our research culture objectives are:
⦁ To provide a creative and supportive research culture;
⦁ To develop the expertise and networks of the Centre through programs of regional and internationally recognised visiting researchers and scholars;
⦁ To attract, educate and develop a high-quality regional and international population of research students interested in knowing everything about the AU;
⦁ To create a collaborative, critical learning environment in which to nurture future African scholars and leaders in the field of AU studies.
As a think tank one of our key aims is to promote partnerships with industry and end users of research, including businesses, community groups, government departments, NGOs and philanthropic foundations.
Members engage in multiple projects of various types ranging from social research projects to more applied research projects and consultancies. If you would like to discuss ways in which you could work with our centre, please contact Dr Feyi Ogunade, research at [email protected], who can put you in touch with one of our experts.
Publications
Staffs at the Centre publish in leading international journals in their respective intellectual fields and produce research books with top tier academic publishing houses. The Centre is home to the ‘Journal of African Studies on the African Union’, Africa’s leading refereed journal in the academic fields of AU studies.
The Centre can provide advice and assistance in a wide variety of areas: human rights, democracy, anti-corruption, media production, research and evaluation, staff training, leadership and many more. The Centre works with industry and public sector partners to help solve pressing regional problems or to supplement existing research and development resources. We can provide you with research expertise, or can work alongside you on a collaborative project where both parties provide intellectual input and resources, including staff, funding, materials and facilities.
The Centre has particular experience in providing consultations in the areas of:
⦁ Conflict and Violence
⦁ Sustainable development
⦁ Media for Development and Human Security
⦁ Rule of law, corruption and ⦁ Governance
⦁ Education for Africa’s Youths
⦁ Justice and Human Rights
⦁ Democracy and good governance
⦁ Climate Change and Environmental Protection
⦁ Societal and Political Transformations (regional and international relations and politics)
⦁ Market and Social Research
⦁ Audience studies, brand and trend analysis, consumer focus groups, questionnaire design, survey research, political polling
⦁ Employee media training, radio and television production, social media strategy and monitoring, media tracking and analysis, public relations advice
⦁ Evaluations and project development
⦁ social and cultural benefits of festivals and arts, effectiveness of social programs
These partnerships are a great way for industry and government organisations to access the skills, expertise and innovative capacity of our researchers, as well as benefit from our world-leading facilities, including our own radio and television production studios.
Funded Research
Institutions, groups and individuals can commission the Centre to collect or evaluate data in academically rigorous ways. Alternatively research can be sponsored through financial contributions to the Centre.
Research Education
Do you like the idea of pursuing issues, ideas and problems and contributing to new knowledge? If so, you might like to consider an internship or residence at the Centre. The Centre undertakes significant regional and international research in a diversity of research fields. In collaboration with various institutions of learning around the world, it is also committed to supervising enthusiastic higher degrees students to produce high quality publications and creative outputs, and also fosters a dynamic and supportive research culture.
Are you looking for a premium leadership development program with reputation and relevance?
The Centre in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Leadership Academy and industry offers a series of two-day modules designed to teach participants the fundamentals of leading and managing.
Our Leadership Development Program builds and supports existing and new middle managers to:
⦁ be more effective leaders
⦁ engage, align and empower staff
⦁ set and achieve operational goals
⦁ develop a strategic perspective
⦁ develop confidence as a leader.
The six two-day modules are completed over a six-month period, allowing participants to absorb and apply each module before the next begins.
Information sessions are held throughout the year.
Have a closer look below at some of the research that is currently been undertaken.
Contact Us
Visit the Research section of the website for all you need to know about our Internship or Scholars program, including details on how to apply.
Further information
For further program details please contact:
The Centre in conjunction with our research centres and groups host a variety of events designed to disseminate research, stimulate conversations and engage with the community and industry.
If you are looking to recruit some of the best talent in Africa our Centre is able to work with your business to ensure you get the right candidate. Whether you are looking for recent graduates or working with students who are still studying, the Centre offers a range of services to suit your needs
Whether you’re looking for a graduate, part-time employee, or paid intern, our Centre can help to advertise your position to many of the institutions we collaborate with. To assist in this process, we host a free online employment and careers database, AU Watch CareerHub, which we would encourage you to utilise.
As a registered employer on AU Watch CareerHub, you will be able to:
⦁ Add vacancies directly to the AU Watch CareerHub system for students, graduates and alumni to search.
⦁ Maintain your contact details and promote your company into appropriate employment categories.
⦁ Add a list of contact people within your company, and specify which ‘Service’ (eg: Graduate Employment, Vacation Employment) they should be the primary contact.
⦁ Edit and close the vacancies you have listed.
⦁ View a history of all the previous vacancies you have listed on AU Watch CareerHub.
To access AU Watch CareerHub, please visit www.auwatchcareerhub.org, and follow the prompts to register or login.
Our Centre can assist you with:
⦁ Advertising jobs, career opportunities, volunteering for a Not for Profit through its free online jobs board.
⦁ Discussing your ideas about how your industry might develop a greater partnership with AU Watch.
⦁ Becoming involved in one of our many external programs and workshops.
⦁ Direct email sent each week to universities all over Africa
We welcome volunteers and interns, and acknowledge that opportunities for students to apply their studies through workplace experience make a significant difference to their education and employability. Should you wish to discuss any of the above or tailor a request to your individual needs, please feel free to contact us.