Keynote 2 — What is the Mandate of this Moment?

A conversation between Amara Enyia and University of Dayton College of Arts and Sciences Dean Danielle Poe. Today, Africans and people of African descent are connecting in unprecedented ways. New international mechanisms are making space for collective visioning and action; new manifestations of the impacts of racial capitalism, climate disaster, and the politics of “development” are spurring broad participation in movements for change. As African heads of state finally catch on to the calls for reparations that have emanated from civil society and grassroots organizations for years, they are now engaging with their counterparts in the Caribbean and elsewhere to develop a global reparations strategy. At the same time, the rising influence of China and the Russia-Ukraine war have exposed an opportunity for Africans and people of African descent to chart a path toward self-determination and challenge the status quo of unipolarity and the legacies of imperialism. In confronting this complexity, this keynote will consider what is the mandate of this moment and ask how we should take account of these many factors as we chart paths forward in our respective spheres. (More from the keynote address is available in the downloadable document in this record.

On the pulse of change: the new beat of special education in higher education

The roles and responsibilities of special educators in both special and regular school settings are changing rapidly. More than two decades ago the move towards more inclusive practices disrupted the traditional, niche separatism of special educators to the extent that they are now an integral part of the regular school teaching staff. Today the broad agenda to facilitate access and participation for all students in education, not just students with disabilities, influences the roles and responsibilities of special educators. This article briefly identifies some of the generic pulses that are moving the special education profession from a focus on low incidence disabilities towards a more comprehensive approach to inclusion, school responsiveness and individualised learning pathways. From the foundation of inclusive practice, this paper will describe how a qualitative study was used to understand the changing roles and responsibilities of special educators. A case study analysis of 17 schools formed the basis of the investigation. Principals, lead teachers in special education and special education teachers were asked to identify trends and priorities in special education and also to identify rewards and challenges in their jobs. Further cross referencing with teacher and special educator standards, a focus group, a stakeholder group and research in the field increased the opportunity for academics and special educators to critically reflect on the emerging demands placed on special educators and the attributes that are needed to be professionally effective

Multiple audiences: revisiting historical film reception

Keynote for the 2013 ECREA Film Studies Conference, Lund, Sweden, 8-9 November 201

Workshop on Desktop Search

The first SIGIR workshop on Desktop Search was held on 23rd July 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland. The workshop consisted of 2 industrial keynotes, 10 paper presentations in a combination of oral and poster format and several discussion sessions. This report presents an overview of the scope and contents of the workshop and outlines the major outcomes

Production of Innovations within Farmer–Researcher Associations Applying Transdisciplinary Research Principles

Small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan West Africa depend heavily on local resources and local knowledge. Science-based knowledge is likely to aid decision-making in complex situations. In this presentation, we highlight a FiBL-coordinated research partnership between three national producer organisations and national agriculture research bodies in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Benin. The partnership seeks to compare conventional, GMObased, and organic cotton systems as regards food security and climate change