ASAA 2019

The East African region in which this ASAA conference is located has a proud history of autonomous literary, educational and academic publishing post-independence. However, challenges persist, particularly in the sphere of research publishing and dissemination, that reverberate across the continent. There are political considerations facing scholars seeking to publish research-based work from or on the regions as well as challenges connected to resources, economics, markets, language and governmental policies. Newly published research has demonstrated a collapse in academic infrastructure for publishing since the 1980s: traditional presses are arguably in decline, and university presses have been closed, including at some of the continent’s top universities. The more recent welcome uptick in high quality research output in several locations in the continent, e.g. Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon, has not been matched by increased resources for academic publishing. There has consequently been an increase in self-publishing of academic work and/or publishing overseas. Academic research organisations and institutions, as well as collaborations and publishing cooperation within regions and internationally, have brought some successes, including dissemination of research and co-publishing. However, without the participation and investment in publishing and dissemination by the continent’s universities, funders of research (governments, donors and others) and policymakers (those evaluating research) a small number of active research organisations and institutions cannot alone effect the transformation necessary to define and support knowledge production and publishing for the future. The ASAA, as striving to be the leading continental academic association for the study of Africa, needs to be at the forefront of these debates.