As academic collaborations become increasingly virtual and geographically widespread, researchers are faced with novel challenges, as well as opportunities, as they attempt to create equitable, effective research partnerships. In this essay, the authors highlight the importance of shared reflexive conversations in building a strong foundation for collaboration and the coproduction of knowledge, particularly in the midst of ongoing crises. In so doing, they reflect on their experience of planning research on social innovation in small-scale fishing communities in Africa and Asia, as a team spread across six countries.
Julius Mngumi
Julius Wilbard Mngumi is a lecturer and consultant at Dar es Salaam University’s College of Education (DUCE) since 2006. He completed his PhD at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, between 2011 and 2015. His PhD thesis titled “Perceptions of Climate Change, Environmental Variability and the Role of Agricultural Adaptation Strategies by Small-Scale Framers in Africa: The Case of Mwanga District in Northern Tanzania,” focused on farmers’ perceptions, knowledge, and understanding of climate change variability and its impacts in agriculture. His study also focused on the role played by government in helping small-scale farmers adapt to climate change. It similarly explored indigenous knowledge and its role in informing farmers about climate change and its impacts on agricultural dependent livelihoods.