Hasil untuk "History of Africa"

Mbali Nkosi, Mike Nkongolo

This study examines how public perception influences the implementation and adoption of cybersecurity frameworks in South Africa. Using the PRISMA methodology, a systematic literature review was conducted across reputable scholarly databases, yielding 34 relevant sources aligned with predefined inclusion criteria. Cybersecurity, governance, trust, privacy, cybercrime, and public opinion emerged as dominant thematic clusters. Bibliometric and thematic analyses, supported by network visualisations, revealed that while trust and public sentiment affect cybersecurity policy adoption globally, these factors have minimal influence within the South African policy landscape, despite the country's high cybercrime prevalence. In response, the study proposes a trust-centric policymaking framework designed to integrate public perception as a proactive dimension of cybersecurity governance. This framework seeks to prevent trust deficits from obstructing policy effectiveness and provides guidance for restoring trust where it has eroded.

Sidy Cissokho

This article is based on a series of observations made in the offices of the Dakar Labour Inspectorate between 2020 and 2023 and describes how labour is regulated by the inspection agents. The recent developments in the Labour Code deprived the department of virtually all its sanction powers, and the authority of labour inspectors depends on their ability to maintain people's belief in their power rather on than their actual powers of punishment. The work of inspection agents is a function of the law, of course, but it is also the product of the dynamics of the interactions among these agents, workers and employers. This is the only way the state can hope to impose its authority on the heart of labour relations.

Tekilu Tadesse Choramo, Jemal Abafita, Yerali Gandica et al.

Global and regional integration has grown significantly in recent decades, boosting intra-African trade and positively impacting national economies through trade diversification and sustainable development. However, existing measures of economic integration often fail to capture the complex interactions among trading partners. This study addresses this gap by using complex network analysis and dynamic panel regression techniques to identify factors driving economic integration in Africa, based on data from 2002 to 2019. The results show that economic development, institutional quality, regional trade agreements, human capital, FDI, and infrastructure positively influence a country's position in the African trade network. Conversely, trade costs, the global financial crisis, and regional overlapping memberships negatively affect network based integration. Our findings suggest that enhancing a country's connectivity in the African trade network involves identifying key economic and institutional factors of trade partners and strategically focusing on continent-wide agreements rather than just regional ones to boost economic growth.

Antoine Caubrière, Elodie Gauthier

We present the first self-supervised multilingual speech model trained exclusively on African speech. The model learned from nearly 60 000 hours of unlabeled speech segments in 21 languages and dialects spoken in sub-Saharan Africa. On the SSA subset of the FLEURS-102 dataset, our approach based on a HuBERT$_{base}$ (0.09B) architecture shows competitive results, for ASR downstream task, compared to the w2v-bert-51 (0.6B) pre-trained model proposed in the FLEURS benchmark, while being more efficient by using 7x less data and 6x less parameters. Furthermore, in the context of a LID downstream task, our approach outperforms FLEURS baselines accuracy by over 22\%.

Achille Mbembe, Laurent Chauvet

ABSTRACT:African discourse has been dominated for almost a century by three politico-intellectual paradigms: anticolonial nationalism, various reinterpretations of Marxism, and a Pan-African sphere of influence that gave special place to two types of solidarity—a racial and transnational solidarity, and an international and anti-imperialist solidarity. In addressing the question, “Who is African and who is not?,” the author reminds readers that traces of Africa cover the face of the capitalist and Islamic worlds. The precolonial history of African societies is a history of colliding cultures and can hardly be understood outside the paradigm of itinerancy, mobility, and displacement. In addition to the forced migrations of the previous centuries, there have also been migrations driven by colonization. Today, millions of people of African origin are citizens of various countries of the world—a historical phenomenon he calls worlds in movement. Awareness of the interweaving of the here and there; embracing, with full knowledge of the facts, strangeness, foreignness, and remoteness; the ability to recognize one’s face in that of a foreigner and to make the most of the traces of remoteness in closeness; to domesticate the unfamiliar; to work with what seem to be opposites—it is this cultural, historical, and aesthetic sensitivity that underlies the term Afropolitanism—a political and cultural stance in relation to the nation, to race, and to the issue of difference in general. Today, many Africans live outside Africa or live on the continent but not necessarily in their countries of birth. They have had the opportunity to experience several worlds. They are developing a transnational culture the author calls “Afropolitan.”

Patrick M. Duerr, William J. Wolf

The paper re-examines the principal methodological questions, arising in the debate over the cosmological standard model's postulate of Dark Matter vs. rivalling proposals that modify standard (Newtonian and general-relativistic) gravitational theory, the so-called Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) and its subsequent extensions. What to make of such seemingly radical challenges of cosmological orthodoxy? In the first part of our paper, we assess MONDian theories through the lens of key ideas of major 20th century philosophers of science (Popper, Kuhn, Lakatos, and Laudan), thereby rectifying widespread misconceptions and misapplications of these ideas common in the pertinent MOND-related literature. None of these classical methodological frameworks, which render precise and systematise the more intuitive judgements prevalent in the scientific community, yields a favourable verdict on MOND and its successors -- contrary to claims in the MOND-related literature by some of these theories' advocates; the respective theory appraisals are largely damning. Drawing on these insights, the paper's second part zooms in on the most common complaint about MONDian theories, their ad-hocness. We demonstrate how the recent coherentist model of ad-hocness captures, and fleshes out, the underlying -- but too often insufficiently articulated -- hunches underlying this critique. MONDian theories indeed come out as severely ad hoc: they do not cohere well with either theoretical or empirical-factual background knowledge. In fact, as our complementary comparison with the cosmological standard model's Dark Matter postulate shows, with respect to ad-hocness, MONDian theories fare worse than the cosmological standard model.

Absalom E. Ezugwu, Olaide N. Oyelade, Abiodun M. Ikotun et al.

In this paper, a critical bibliometric analysis study is conducted, coupled with an extensive literature survey on recent developments and associated applications in machine learning research with a perspective on Africa. The presented bibliometric analysis study consists of 2761 machine learning-related documents, of which 98% were articles with at least 482 citations published in 903 journals during the past 30 years. Furthermore, the collated documents were retrieved from the Science Citation Index EXPANDED, comprising research publications from 54 African countries between 1993 and 2021. The bibliometric study shows the visualization of the current landscape and future trends in machine learning research and its application to facilitate future collaborative research and knowledge exchange among authors from different research institutions scattered across the African continent.

Julia E. Brown, Benjamin R. Evans, Wei Zheng et al.

J. Fernández-Palacios, L. de Nascimento, R. Otto et al.

O. Mwai, O. Hanotte, Young-jun Kwon et al.

At least 150 indigenous African cattle breeds have been named, but the majority of African cattle populations remain largely uncharacterized. As cattle breeds and populations in Africa adapted to various local environmental conditions, they acquired unique features. We know now that the history of African cattle was particularly complex and while several of its episodes remain debated, there is no doubt that African cattle population evolved dramatically over time. Today, we find a mosaic of genetically diverse population from the purest Bos taurus to the nearly pure Bos indicus. African cattle are now found all across the continent, with the exception of the Sahara and the river Congo basin. They are found on the rift valley highlands as well as below sea level in the Afar depression. These unique livestock genetic resources are in danger to disappear rapidly following uncontrolled crossbreeding and breed replacements with exotic breeds. Breeding improvement programs of African indigenous livestock remain too few while paradoxically the demand of livestock products is continually increasing. Many African indigenous breeds are endangered now, and their unique adaptive traits may be lost forever. This paper reviews the unique known characteristics of indigenous African cattle populations while describing the opportunities, the necessity and urgency to understand and utilize these resources to respond to the needs of the people of the continent and to the benefit of African farmers.

S. Michalopoulos, E. Papaioannou

As Africa’s role on the global stage is rising, so does the need to understand the shadow of history on the continent’s economy and polity. We discuss recent works that shed light on Africa’s colonial and precolonial legacies. The emerging corpus is remarkably interdisciplinary. Archives, ethnographic materials, georeferenced censuses, surveys, and satellite imagery are some of the sources often combined to test influential conjectures put forward in African historiography. Exploiting within-country variation and employing credible, albeit mostly local, identification techniques, this recent literature has uncovered strong evidence of historical continuity as well as instances of rupture in the evolution of the African economy. The exposition proceeds in reverse chronological order. Starting from the colonial period, which has been linked to almost all of Africa’s postindependence maladies, we first review works that uncover the lasting legacies of colonial investments in infrastructure and human capital and quantify the role of various extractive institutions, such as indirect rule and oppression associated with concessionary agreements. Second, we discuss the long-lasting impact of the “Scramble for Africa,” which led to ethnic partitioning and the creation of artificial modern states. Third, we cover studies on the multifaceted legacy of the slave trades. Fourth, we analyze the contemporary role of various precolonial, ethnic-specific, institutional, and social traits such as political centralization. We conclude by offering some thoughts on what we view as open questions. ( JEL F54, N17, N37, N47, O10, O43)

Louise Viljoen

In this article, I read the Dutch poet Alfred Schaffer’s volume of poetry Mens dier ding (Man animal thing) against the background of transnationalism. I employ transnationalism as critical or hermeneutic perspective and focus on the identity of the author, the themes worked  out in the volume and the use of anachronism and metapoetical references as literary strategies in support of the transnational nature of the text. Reference is made to the way in which Schaffer’s biography (his Dutch-Aruban descent, his movement between the Netherlands and South Africa, his views on poetry) facilitates a transnational reading of his volume Mens dier ding based on the history of the Zulu king Shaka as depicted in Thomas Mofolo’s novel Chaka (published in 1925). The article also reads Mens dier ding against the background of the idea that transnational literature is a particular kind of literature that emerges at a specific point in history and deals with issues and themes associated with imperialism, colonisation, decolonisation and globalisation such as migration, displacement, cultural hybridity, identity, citizenship and the status of refugees. This reading is prompted by the fact that Schaffer displaces the historical Shaka to the present and eventually also represent him as an asylum seeker in an unnamed country. I discuss the volume’s formal features, the transnational conversation with Mofolo’s novel, the use of anachronism and the insertion of metapoetical elements in the text as literary strategies to deal with transnational issues such as migration, displacement, racial hierarchies, inequality and refugee experience.

Victor H. Mlambo, Sphephelo P. Zubane, Xolani Thusi

The former Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Zweli Mkhize, painted a bleak picture about the state of local government. The minister stated that 87 municipalities – about a third of South Africa’s total of 257 – remain dysfunctional or distressed. Underpinning this dysfunctionality was mismanagement due to political instability or interference, corruption and incompetence. This then results in poor service delivery, thus prolonging the periods of underdevelopment and poor access to basic services. This paper argues that cadre deployment has hindered the effective service delivery in local municipalities, thus the domino effect has been riots, protests and wasteful expenditure at the local government level. This results in participatory exclusion when it comes to collective development.  By strictly analysing relevant literature related to corruption, and cadre deployment within the local government domain in South Africa, it became evident that the quest for socio-economic development in rural areas is deeply dependent on local governance having competent and skilled personnel who would prioritise service delivery rather than political loyalty at the expense of development. Nonetheless, the main question going forward is to what extent will loyalty ahead of competence be at the core of municipal governance and what implications will this have for future developmental prospects, good governance and service delivery?

Jamal El-Ouahi, Vincent Lariviere

Recent gender policies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have improved legal equality for women with noticeable effects in some countries. The implications of these policies on science, however, is not well-understood. This study applies a bibliometric lens to describe the landscape of gender disparities in scientific research in MENA. Specifically, we examine 1.7 million papers indexed in the Web of Science published by 1.1 million authors from MENA between 2008 and 2020. We used bibliometric indicators to analyse potential disparities between men and women in the share of authors, research productivity, and seniority in authorship. The results show that gender parity is far from being achieved in MENA. Overall, men authors obtain higher representation, research productivity, and seniority. But some countries standout: Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey, Algeria and Egypt have higher shares or women researchers compared to the rest of MENA countries. The UAE, Qatar, and Jordan have shown progress in terms of women participation in science, but Saudi Arabia lags behind. We find that women are more likely to stop publishing than men and that men publish on average between 11% and 51% more than women, with this gap increasing over time. Finally, men, on average, achieved senior positions in authorship faster than women. Our longitudinal study contributes to a better understanding of gender disparities in science in MENA which is catching up in terms of policy engagement and women representation. However, the results suggest that the effects of the policy changes have yet to materialize into distinct improvement in women's participation and performance in science.

S. B. F. Dorch, J. O. Petersen

About fifty years after the work that astronomer Tycho Brahe carried out while living on the island of Hven had made him world famous, King Christian IV of Denmark built the Trinity Buildings in Copenhagen. The Tower observatory was opened in 1642, and it housed the astronomers from the University of Copenhagen until 1861 when a new, modern observatory was built at Østervold in the eastern part of the city. In 1996, all the University astronomers from the observatories at Østervold and the small town of Brorfelde were relocated to the Rockefeller Buildings at Østerbro, and the two observatories were closed. In this paper we focus on the library at the observatory in Østervold, and its subsequent fate following the close-down of that observatory.

M. Hoerling, J. Hurrell, J. Eischeid et al.

Anthony Enisan Akinlo, Segun Michael Ojo

This paper examines the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic to sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) using the historical approach by analyzing the policy responses of the region to past crises and their economic consequences. The study employs the manufacturing-value-added share of GDP as a performance indicator. The analysis shows that wrong policy intervention to past crises, lead the African sub-region into the deplorable economic situation. The study observed that the region leapfrogged prematurely to import substitution, export promotion, and global value chains. Based on these past experiences, the region should adopt a gradual approach in responding to the COVID-19 economic consequences. The sub-region should first address relevant areas of sustainability, including proactive investment in research and development to develop home-grown technology, upgrade essential infrastructural facilities, develop security infrastructures, and strengthen the financial sector.

Matteo Salvador, Marco Fedele, Pasquale Claudio Africa et al.

We developed a novel patient-specific computational model for the numerical simulation of ventricular electromechanics in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). This model reproduces the activity both in sinus rhythm (SR) and in ventricular tachycardia (VT). The presence of scars, grey zones and non-remodeled regions of the myocardium is accounted for by the introduction of a spatially heterogeneous coefficient in the 3D electromechanics model. This 3D electromechanics model is firstly coupled with a 2-element Windkessel afterload model to fit the pressure-volume (PV) loop of a patient-specific left ventricle (LV) with ICM in SR. Then, we employ the coupling with a 0D closed-loop circulation model to analyze a VT circuit over multiple heartbeats on the same LV. We highlight similarities and differences on the solutions obtained by the electrophysiology model and those of the electromechanics model, while considering different scenarios for the circulatory system. We observe that very different parametrizations of the circulation model induce the same hemodynamical considerations for the patient at hand. Specifically, we classify this VT as unstable. We conclude by stressing the importance of combining electrophysiological, mechanical and hemodynamical models to provide relevant clinical indicators in how arrhythmias evolve and can potentially lead to sudden cardiac death.

Desen Kirli, Johannes Hampp, Koen van Greevenboek et al.

Electricity network modelling and grid simulations form a key enabling element for the integration of newer and cleaner technologies such as renewable energy generation and electric vehicles into the existing grid and energy system infrastructure. This paper reviews the models of the African electricity systems and highlights the gaps in the open model landscape. Using PyPSA (an open Power System Analysis package), the paper outlines the pathway to a fully open model and data to increase the transparency in the African electricity system planning. Optimisation and modelling can reveal viable pathways to a sustainable energy system, aiding strategic planning for upgrades and policy-making for accelerated integration of renewable energy generation and smart grid technologies such as battery storage in Africa.

Fabian O. Ugwu, Ike E. Onyishi

The study examines the moderating roles of person-environment fit on the relationship between perceived workload and employee work engagement. The participants of the study comprised of 216 hospital nurses sampled from public hospitals in southeast, Nigeria. The results of the regression analyses showed that perceived high workload was significantly and negatively related to work engagement. The results of the moderated hierarchical regression analyses showed that person-job fit had a moderating effect on the relationship between perceived high workload and work engagement. The moderating effect of person-organization fit in the relation between perceived high workload and work engagement was not significant. The implications of the findings to the job demands-resources theory and employee selection and development were discussed.