On 19 June 2025, the Global Academy of Liberal Arts (GALA) hosted a dynamic online symposium led by Professor Rebecca McGuire-Snieckus, Associate Academic Director of GALA. The event was co-chaired by Balam Nedim Kenter, a doctoral candidate at Concordia University’s Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society, and Sheryl Boyle, a recent Concordia University graduate and Associate Professor of Architecture at Carleton University in Ottawa.

The symposium brought together 12 speakers across four panels, engaging participants from across disciplines and continents in critical conversations around the following themes:

• Environmental Crisis
• Arts for Social Change
• Digital Threats and Opportunities
• Power, Peace and Healing

The event showcased the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and the global reach of liberal arts in confronting urgent issues.

The Global Academy of Liberal Arts online event  

June 19, 2025 

Four panels on the themes of: Environmental Crisis, Arts for Social Change, Digital Threats and Opportunities and Power, Peace and Healing. Timings, titles, and abstracts for each panel presenter are provided below.  

Schedule 

Welcome and Introduction 4.30 (BST) 

Rebecca McGuire-Snieckus, Associate Academic Director of the Global Academy of Liberal Arts

Environmental Crisis panel (4.40-5.10 pm BST) 

Chair: Balam Nedim Kenter, PhD candidate at Concordia University

School leaders promoting an inclusive pedagogical response to environmental crises  

Douglas Andrews, Lecturer, University of Witwatersrand (4.40 pm BST)

Are EIA-recommended measures balancing economy, society and environment? A triple bottom line and wedding cake framework analysis   

Abebe Belay Gebeyehu, Assistant Professor of Economics, Aksum University, Axum, Ethiopia (4.50 BST)

5 pm: 10-minute Question and Answer session for Environmental Crisis panel 

Art for Social Change panel (5.10 – 6 pm BST) 

Chair: Dr. Sheryl Boyle, Associate Professor in Architecture at Carleton University

Art and technology as Technodiversity 

Renzo Filinich, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa (5.10 pm  BST)

Jazz appreciation societies 

Nhlanhla Manana, Presenter, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa (5.20 pm BST)

Art for Mental Health 

Sibusiso Fihlani, Chairperson/ festival director, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa (5.30 pm BST)

Attuning To Aesthesis: Reparative Artistic Meditations On The Kitchen Table, Communion, Food, And Love. 

Camilla Pontiggia, Artist and Fim maker, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa (5.40 pm BST)

5.50pm: 10-minute Question and Answer session for Arts for Social Change panel

Digital Threats and Opportunities panel (6 – 6.50 pm BST) 

Chair: Balam Nedim Kenter, PhD candidate at Concordia University

The Pacing Problem in South Africa’s mHealth Regulation: Advancing Adaptive mHealth Regulation—from the “Intended Use” Rule to a Functionality-driven Framework 

Johannes Machinya, Lecturer, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa (6 pm BST)

Opportunities and Challenges of Social Media Usage in Higher Education Institutions: A  

Systematic Review  

Girma Awaki Feyera, Lecturer, PhD Candidate in Higher Education Studies (HES), Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (6.10 pm BST)

Reading Human Techno Geneses as a “sacred mating” of “Behaymaw, the human beast and the “Humid Beings, the Children of the Eloheem”. 

Terance Nzuza, PhD Candidate, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa (6.20 pm BST)

The Ecocritical Instapoet: Digital Media Ecofeminist Poetry 

Yara Gawrieh Ekmark, Independent Scholar – Content Marketing Manager, Stockholm University, Sweden (6.30 pm BST) 

6.40pm: 10-minute Question and Answer session for Digital Threats and Opportunities panel

Power, Peace and Healing panel (6.50 – 7.20 pm BST) 

Chair: Dr. Sheryl Boyle, Associate Professor in Architecture at Carleton University

Unpacking the structure and role of the Namibian San’s healing dance, djxani performed in the context of the medicine ritual, n/um tshxai 

The Role of (contribution) of engineering student in peace building: the case of AAU 

Basleal Melkie, second year Electrical Engineering Undergraduate student, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (6.50 pm BST)

Using Autoethnography to place the self at the centre of practice-based research 

Tanja Sakota, Academic (Associate Professor) and Deputy Head of School (Wits School of Arts), University of Witwatersrand, South Africa (7.00 pm BST)

7.10 pm: 10-minute Question and Answer session for Power, Peace and Healing panel

Conclusion and summary 7.20-7.30 (BST) 

Rebecca McGuire-Snieckus, Associate Academic Director of the Global Academy of Liberal Arts

 

 

Abstracts 

Environmental Crisis panel (4.40-5.10 pm BST) 

Chair: Balam Nedim Kenter, PhD candidate at Concordia University 

School leaders promoting an inclusive pedagogical response to environmental crises  

Douglas Andrews, Lecturer, University of Witwatersrand 

4.40 pm BST 

Abstract: 

School leaders face the challenge of developing, promoting, and sustaining inclusive schools. Our findings from a qualitative study reveal that many school principals struggle with balancing the conflicting goals of inclusion and academic excellence. While numerous educational institutions in South Africa strive for high academic achievement among their students, this drive often stems from competition, global rankings, and an overemphasis on grades as the sole measure of success. This approach aligns with a neoliberal, market-driven society that conditions learners to enter the workforce and compete for individual accolades, often at the expense of values like inclusion and ubuntu. Historically, this mindset has led to the exploitation of natural resources and an increased focus on materialism, perpetuating a cycle of environmental degradation. However, our study, along with existing literature, shows that many school leaders adopt mindsets and implement leadership strategies that foster inclusive teaching. Their focus is on developing the potential of every learner, rather than prioritizing the success of a select few. We argue in this presentation that learners educated in inclusive environments are more likely to enter society with an inclusive mindset. This mindset prioritizes social cohesion and emphasizes the importance of issues such as environmental protection in their lives. 

Are EIA-recommended measures balancing economy, society and environment? A triple bottom line and wedding cake framework analysis   

Abebe Belay Gebeyehu, Assistant Professor of Economics, Aksum University, Axum, Ethiopia 

4.50 BST 

Abstract: 

A five-member analysis group was established to address the Multi-Criteria Analysis through mDSS software. The Pair-Wise Comparison Method was used for assessing the criterion weights, i.e., the relative importance of each pillar of sustainability, and the order of layers in the wedding cake framework was determined. The method was also used to generate scores in the analysis matrix. The analysis shows the EIA-recommended measures are likely to succeed in sustainable development when synergy in sustainable development is taken into account, but balancing the three sustainability pillars remains a challenge. It was successful when the long-term perspective of sustainability was adopted, but there was a high sustainable development trade-off induced by the unequal adaptability of measures. The most favored adaptation and mitigation measures are training and extension courses, and planting forest seedlings, while training and cooperative organizations strike a good balance of the three pillars. However, planting forest seedlings doesn’t fully qualify as a sustainable solution because of the negative consequences of eucalyptus plantations on the environment and a threat to food security, as they are being planted on fertile lands. Academia should match trade-off and synergy issues with immediate and long-term goals, and determine the suitable sustainable development framework 

 

5 pm: 10-minute Question and Answer session for Environmental Crisis panel  

 

Art for Social Change panel (5.10 – 6 pm BST) 

Chair: Dr. Sheryl Boyle, Associate Professor in Architecture at Carleton University 

Art and technology as Technodiversity 

Renzo Filinich, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa 

5.10 pm BST 

Abstract: 

This presentation examines the relationship between art and technology from the perspective of cosmotechnics and technodiversity, concepts developed by Yuk Hui to challenge the homogeneous Western view of technology. Through a reflection on the fractured relationship between nature and technology in the Anthropocene, the text engages with Gilbert Simondon’s philosophy of technology and Walter Mignolo’s Latin American decolonial thought. Cosmotechnics, understood as the integration of cosmic and moral order through technical practices, allows us to reconsider the relationship between art, technology, and politics from epistemologies situated in the Global South. 

The presentation analyzes how technodiversity, as a form of creative resistance, manifests itself in artistic practices that integrate local knowledge and contemporary technologies. Examples of art and technology from Latin America and Africa are presented, including the use of digital tools in indigenous cultural preservation, bioart as ecological critique, and the reconfiguration of war materials in Mozambique. The intersection between art and technoscience is explored through references to cybernetics, Bernard Stiegler’s organological theory, and Simondon’s technological aesthetics. 

Likewise, historical cases of articulation between art and technology in Latin America are reviewed, such as the Cybersyn Project in Chile, Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela’s proposals on autopoiesis, and Juan Downey’s work in video art and Indigenous representation. It is argued that modernity/coloniality has imposed an extractive techno-scientific vision, which makes it urgent to rearticulate technology based on non-Western cosmologies. 

Finally, the presentation proposes a relational cybernetics, inspired by second- and third-order approaches, which emphasizes the interdependence between technical, ecological, and cultural systems. In this sense, the need for a techno-diverse art capable of challenging modern instrumental rationality and opening up new possibilities for knowledge and creativity is highlighted. 

 

Jazz appreciation societies 

Nhlanhla Manana, Presenter, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa 

5.20 pm BST 

Abstract: 

This research project delves into the rich history of jazz appreciation societies in Soweto, South Africa, from the mid-20th century to the present day. Focusing on one jazz appreciation society in Soweto called the Jazz Fusion Update which was founded in 1984. The study aims to shed light on the significant role that the Jazz Fusion Update played in shaping the cultural landscape of its participants, particularly in fostering a deep appreciation for jazz music and providing a platform for local musicians to showcase their talent. Through a combination of archival research, oral history interviews, and ethnographic observations, this research seeks to document the origins, evolution, and impact of jazz appreciation societies in Soweto. By examining primary sources such as newspaper articles, photographs, and membership records, the study aims to reconstruct the social and musical networks that flourished within these societies. Furthermore, the research will explore the ways in which jazz appreciation societies in Soweto contributed to the preservation and promotion of jazz music as a form of cultural expression. By analysing the programming, events, and outreach efforts of the Jazz Fusion Update, the study aims to highlight their role in nurturing a vibrant jazz community in Soweto and beyond. Ultimately, this research project seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the cultural history of Soweto and the broader significance of jazz music in shaping identity and community dynamics. By uncovering the legacy of jazz appreciation societies in Soweto, this study aims to celebrate the resilience and creativity of local musicians and enthusiasts who have kept the spirit of jazz alive in the face of social and political challenges. 

 

Art for Mental Health 

Sibusiso Fihlani, Chairperson/ festival director, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa 

5.30 pm BST 

Abstract: 

Ezempilo Mental Health Arts Festival https://www.instagram.com/p/CzovAv0NeYt/  

is a ground-breaking multidisciplinary arts festival that seeks to delve into the profound and transformative power of the arts in addressing mental health. The festival recognizes that art has the unique ability to engage, inspire, and provoke dialogue, transcending barriers and fostering deep emotional connections. It serves as a platform for artists, mental health professionals, advocates, scholars, researchers, and individuals with lived experiences to come together and explore the intersection of art and mental health. Through a wide range of artistic mediums such as visual arts, music, dance, theatre, poetry, and film, the festival showcases the transformative potential of art in promoting mental well-being, healing, and resilience.  

The festival aims to provoke change by harnessing the power of artistic expression and highlighting the beauty and strength of diversity in mental health narratives. By challenging societal norms and preconceived notions surrounding mental health, the festival aims to dismantle stigma and create an inclusive environment where open conversations about mental well-being can thrive. Through thought-provoking exhibitions, art therapies, performances, and interactive installations that cuts across age, race, experiences, sexual orientation, cultural background the festival seeks to inspire attendees to reframe their perceptions, broaden their understanding, and become agents of change within their communities. 

 

Attuning To Aesthesis: Reparative Artistic Meditations On The Kitchen Table, Communion, Food, And Love. 

Camilla Pontiggia, Artist and Fim maker, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa 

5.40 pm BST 

Abstract: 

Following my presentation at Gala’s 2024 conference in which I unpacked my artistic research and praxis around unravelling what I describe as a ‘colonial blueprint’, in this presentation I want to consider where that unravelling has since taken me. What came out of that process was a journey back into deeply embodied modes of knowing, being, and doing, attuning to what Sylvia Wynter describes as ‘autopoietic being’. Where my previous work wrestled with a colonial blueprint and how to unravel or renegotiate my orientation to it, my new work seeks to attune to the rhythms of ‘aesthesis’ and ‘decolonial aesthesis’, whilst unravelling the Western canon of art and aesthetics present in my life and education. Taking my kitchen table – a place for me of communion and love – as one of my earliest sensory and creative connections to aesthesis, I have begun to create work that, in one way or another, connects to the labour of preparing food for others. Taking tablecloths that are dyed with food and mended; preparing and sharing beloved recipes such as ‘tè al limone’ and ‘magwinya’; creating paintings with bread dough; baking picture frames out of bread; all of these works are acts of mending and of care. These are attempts towards a reparative act, which I do not think of as one that can ‘fix’ what was previously broken, cast aside, or othered. I do not think of repair as an action that can return something to its former, unbroken state. Rather I think of ‘repair’ as an act of mending, one that evidences the mending done, and in so doing, holds what was and builds on it something new, or, more appropriately, something alternative. 

 

5.50pm: 10-minute Question and Answer session for Arts for Social Change panel 

 

 

Digital Threats and Opportunities panel (6 – 6.50 pm BST) 

Chair: Balam Nedim Kenter, PhD candidate at Concordia University 

The Pacing Problem in South Africa’s mHealth Regulation: Advancing Adaptive mHealth Regulation—from the “Intended Use” Rule to a Functionality-driven Framework 

Johannes Machinya, Lecturer, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa 

6 pm BST 

Abstract: 

The proliferation of mobile health applications (mHealth apps), driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic innovations, has expanded access to digital health solutions and reshaped healthcare delivery. In South Africa, while the National Department of Health recognises their transformative potential, the rapid evolution of mHealth apps, with increasingly advanced functionalities, presents regulatory challenges that existing frameworks struggle to address. This paper critically examines South Africa’s mHealth regulatory framework, focusing on the “intended use” rule, which classifies apps as medical or non-medical devices based on the developer’s declared purpose. While this rule provides regulatory clarity, it overlooks functional capabilities arising from technological advancements, allowing some apps with medical functionalities—marketed as non-medical tools—to evade regulatory scrutiny. This oversight gap exposes users to potential health risks and underscores the limitations of intent-based classification. Drawing on the concept of the “pacing problem”, which highlights the misalignment between technological advancement and regulatory adaptation, this paper argues that South Africa’s regulatory framework lacks the elasticity needed to keep pace with mHealth innovations. To address this challenge, the paper proposes stronger enforcement mechanisms to prevent regulatory misclassification, alongside a functionality-driven regulatory model that evaluates apps based on real-world use and risk implications, rather than relying solely on developer intent. Ultimately, this paper underscores the need for adaptive regulatory strategies that balance innovation and public health protection, ensuring that mHealth technologies evolve within a robust and responsive governance framework. 

 

Opportunities and Challenges of Social Media Usage in Higher Education Institutions: A  

Systematic Review  

Girma Awaki Feyera, Lecturer, PhD Candidate in Higher Education Studies (HES), Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia 

6.10 pm BST 

Abstract: 

The purpose of this study is to investigate the opportunities and challenges of social media usage in higher education institutions. The study is significant because it adds both theoretical and practical knowledge to the existing literature on how higher education institutions’ students use social media to improve the quality of their education in a given context. PRISMA guidelines for systematic review methodology were employed to explore the current literature on the topic. Different sources were searched using pre-defined search items. A total of 1156 papers were found and screened for abstracts and titles, and 27 full-text articles were evaluated for eligibility. Finally, 9 articles were selected for the systematic review. The result indicated that social media usage in higher education institutions has both opportunities and challenges. Most of the reviewed articles mentioned social media as an opportunity for improving students’ academic performance and helping in sharing information, thoughts, and ideas with their peers. On the contrary, improper usage of social media platforms could distract students’ attention, and also make them become addicted, and may result in sleeping disorders for students of higher education institutions. 

 

Reading Human Techno Geneses as a “sacred mating” of “Behaymaw, the human beast and the “Humid Beings, the Children of the Eloheem”. 

Terance Nzuza, PhD Candidate, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa 

6.20 pm BST 

Abstract: 

Abstract 

 

This investigation explores the media artist as an “honest seeker” navigating a landscape marked by flux, uncertainty, and fragmented knowledge. Drawing on a diverse range of sources—from esoteric traditions and philosophical texts to media theory and cinematic aesthetics—the study foregrounds the necessity of “bringing order” to a chaotic convergence of meanings, myths, and technologies. It critically maps the interplay between rejected knowledge systems such as Alchemy and Kabbalah, and the evolving visual languages of South African cinema and television. Through a lens of critical cartography, the research interrogates how myths may function as facts and how accepted truths may be fictional constructs. It examines the constitution of images and bodies within a hybrid media ecology, where print, television, and the internet converge toward a “unified format” that integrates art, science, technology, and consciousness. Ultimately, the study seeks to illuminate the fragmentary, performative, and often unstable nature of representation in contemporary media practice.
 

Keywords 

 

media art, critical cartography, esoteric knowledge, South African cinema, myth and fiction, image theory, convergence culture, alchemy, Kabbalah, hybrid media, representation, consciousness, visual culture 

 

The Ecocritical Instapoet: Digital Media Ecofeminist Poetry 

Yara Gawrieh Ekmark, Independent Scholar – Content Marketing Manager, Stockholm University, Sweden 

6.30 pm BST 

Abstract: 

In recent years, a new poetry genre has emerged, known as Instapoetry, with many of its leading voices being young women (Pâquet 2019). Shaped by the Instagram platform, Instapoetry is marked by brevity and visual elements. However, it also echoes modernist and postmodernist traditions through its symbolism, expressionism, rejection of convention, and activist stance. The “retrofitting” (Chasar 2020) of modernist themes into a digital format opens space for new ways of thinking. What may seem restrictive can actually enable new modes of subjectivity. Instapoetry’s emotional and inclusive approach gives it potential as an activist and educational medium. It participates in a metamodernist shift—what Turner (2015) calls a move beyond postmodernism and toward a collective desire for change. 

 

Female Instapoets often use nature motifs, not as passive symbols but as forms of connection—resisting the restrictive frameworks often imposed by patriarchal systems. To move beyond a reductive view of Instapoetry as limited by algorithms and brevity, I propose the term Digital Media Ecofeminist Poetry. Through close readings of selected Instapoems, I examine how female poets use form, language, and visual elements within the digital medium to create nuanced, activist, and ecofeminist expressions. 

 

6.40pm: 10-minute Question and Answer session for Digital Threats and Opportunities panel 

 

 

Power, Peace and Healing panel (6.50 – 7.30 pm BST) 

Chair: Dr. Sheryl Boyle, Associate Professor in Architecture at Carleton University   

 

The Role of (contribution) of engineering student in peace building: the case of AAU 

Basleal Melkie, second year Electrical Engineering Undergraduate student, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia 

6.50 pm BST 

Abstract: 

Peace is essential for engineering progress, as stability enables the practical application of technical knowledge. Conflict disrupts infrastructure, innovation, and resource access, hindering engineering outcomes. The American Society of Civil Engineers emphasizes that collaboration and long-term planning key to engineering success require peaceful conditions. 

This presentation examines how peace (or its absence) affects engineering students at Addis Ababa University (AAU). Campus unrest, political tensions, and resource shortages impede academic focus, lab access, and research, potentially driving graduates’ abroad (brain drain). However, AAU students demonstrate resilience through community projects like renewable energy prototypes and water purification systems, applying their skills to local development despite challenges. 

Beyond academics, engineers contribute to peace by designing inclusive infrastructure, promoting sustainability, and bridging societal gaps through technology. Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) exemplifies how engineering projects can unify national goals while necessitating conflict-sensitive approaches. The presentation concludes by urging engineering students and professionals to actively promote peace by adopting ethical practices, addressing inequities, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to integrate peacebuilding into their core work. By combining technical expertise with a commitment to societal stability, engineers can play a pivotal role in fostering sustainable development and peace. 

 

Using Autoethnography to place the self at the centre of practice-based research 

Tanja Sakota, Academic (Associate Professor) and Deputy Head of School (Wits School of Arts), University of Witwatersrand, South Africa 

7.00 pm BST 

Abstract: 

This presentation explores how autoethnography and practice-based research through filmmaking can intersect to disrupt and decentre the silos and hierarchies associated with traditional notions of objectivity. This is a place where the researcher sits at the core of the narrative, investigation and research question. Memory, identity and emotion frame the methodological interplay between the internal and external, personal and public, and cultural and social. I draw on key issues that align with and embrace alternate ways of seeking and knowing that incorporate ethical considerations, critical enquiry and creative freedom where the camera functions as an extension of the self. Drawing on personal story as subject, method and critical interaction I take you on a journey that engages with the aftermath of loss and grief where lived experience becomes part of a self-reflexive and embodied practice. 

 

7.10 pm: 10-minute Question and Answer session for Power, Peace and Healing panel 

 

Chair Biographies 

 

Balam Nedim Kenter 

balam.kenter@concordia.ca  |  www.balamkenter.com 

Balam is a doctoral candidate at Concordia University’s Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture, with disciplinary expertise in Political Philosophy, Critical Disability Studies, and Critical Animal Studies. Their interdisciplinary interests are anchored by problematics such as the ontology of power relations and oppressive systems, with an overarching focus on how forces of oppression interact with the materiality of bodies—particularly minoritized bodies, both human and nonhuman. 

Balam holds a BA in History of Art from Cornell University and an MA in Culture and Performance from UCLA’s World Arts and Cultures Department. Their MA thesis at UCLA drew on Foucault’s concept of the care of the self to reclaim so-called “eating disordered” and “obese” bodies as sites of non-normative embodiment and alimentary practice. After a decade in theatre management, Balam returned to academia and completed an award-winning MA thesis at Boğaziçi University’s Department of Philosophy, where they examined exploitation and oppression through disability studies, Marx’s theory of surplus populations, and intersectional theory. 

Balam’s doctoral project at Concordia, tentatively titled Capitalism, Animals, and Disability: Prefiguring MarxoFoucauldian CripAnimal Studies, builds on and complicates this earlier work. The project develops a novel synthesis of Foucauldian and Marxist analyses of power through a critical intersectional lens to examine the entanglements of ableism and anthropocentrism under late capitalism.  

When Balam is not studying in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, they with two humans, five cats, and two dogs in Istanbul. Unless they’re on a deadline, they can often be found (or lost) researching tangential topics, watching horror films, and doodling. 

 

Dr. Sheryl Boyle, recent graduate of Concordia University and Associate Professor in Architecture at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada is Director of the Carleton Sensory Architecture and Liminal Technologies lab which explores materiality through hands-on research and projects that engages historic materials and concepts in hybrid processes for assemblies in architecture. Sheryl and her lab collaborators work with a variety of craftspeople including cooks, masons, carpenters and robotics experts, embracing the knowledge of craft in works that aims to expand to sensory dimensions of construction and architecture.  Her research-creation work uses discarded and collected materials from her surroundings to reformulate sensory narratives which participate in daily life. Her book, Sense-Making: New Sensory Methods for Exploring the Past and Imagining Possible Futures (coauthored with David Howes and Genevieve Collins) will be released by Routledge this September. 

 

Speaker Biographies  

 

Dr. Douglas Andrews is a Lecturer in the Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the Wits School of Education, Humanities Faculty at Wits University, South Africa. He has extensive teaching and research experience in the fields of teacher education, inclusive education, and school leadership. He currently lectures on Leadership and Organizational Change in postgraduate and Advanced Diploma programs, and he also teaches modules on teacher leadership in the fourth-year undergraduate program. Dr. Andrews is deeply involved in supervising Masters and PhD research, focusing on issues related to school leadership and teacher professional development. 

Dr. Andrews has published in the areas of school leadership and inclusive education in both local and international peer-reviewed journals and books. He is an active member of the UNESCO Chair in Teacher Education for Diversity and Development. Additionally, Dr. Andrews serves on the School of Education’s Ethics Committee, the Teaching and Learning Committee, and the Transformation, Internationalization, and Partnerships Committee. He has presented research papers at various international and local conferences. 

Furthermore, Dr. Andrews is engaged in collaborative partnerships with researchers from other universities globally to address issues related to capacity development programs for teacher students and in-service school principals. 

 

Dr. Abebe Belay Gebeyehu, is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Aksum University, Ethiopia, specializing in Economic Policy Analysis, Environment, and Development who holds a Ph.D. in Development Studies from Addis Ababa University, with a focus on sustainable development and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). With over 15 years of teaching and research experience, I have contributed significantly to academic and community service, particularly in the areas of agricultural economics, water management, and sustainability analysis. 

My research has been published and I am submitting manuscripts to several journals, including Heliyon, Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, and Development Studies Research. I have presented at global conferences, such as the GALA Network and UN-ESCO Conference in 2023, discussing the economic sustainability of farming communities in Ethiopia’s Koga Irrigation and Watershed Project. 

I am proficient in statistical software, including STATA, and econometrics, and am dedicated to mentoring graduate students. My extensive experience in environmental sustainability, EIA, and economic policy analysis underscores my commitment to advancing sustainable development in Ethiopia and beyond. 

 

Renzo Filinich is a Peruvian-Chilean media artist and researcher specializing in Andean epistemologies and post-humanist approaches to technology. With over 15 years of experience, his interdisciplinary work bridges art, technology, and philosophy, exploring the dynamic relationship between humanity, nature, and the artificial. Filinich holds a degree in Sound Engineering from Orson Welles University, a Master’s in Media Arts from the University of Chile, and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Valparaíso. He is currently working on Postdoctoral Research at Wits University School of Arts in Johannesburg, investigating the epistemologies created between the practices of Art and Science. 

His artistic portfolio includes six media artworks, seven experimental music records, and over 30 sound-based compositions. A resident artist of the Posthuman Art Network (2022) and a member of Yuk Hui’s Research Network for Philosophy and Technology (2021–2023), Filinich’s projects are deeply influenced by Gilbert Simondon’s individuation, Bernard Stiegler’s organology, and Yuk Hui’s cosmotechnics. 

Through his practice, Filinich seeks to challenge mechanistic and Western-centric visions of technology, proposing alternative ways of understanding technical objects as relational and evolving systems. His work has been exhibited internationally, offering critical reflections on ecological crises, post-Anthropocene futures, and the entanglement of humans and machines. 

 

Nhlanhla Manana, a musician, honed his skills on the bass guitar from the age of 14. 

Beginning his academic journey at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) with a focus 

on jazz performance, he later pursued an honors degree in community music at the 

University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and is currently working towards a master’s in 

heritage studies. Nhlanhla’s research interests are on jazz music, history, and heritage, 

Nhlanhla’s expertise extends beyond music. As a director of a non-profit organisation 

dedicated to youth development through arts and music, he fosters skills and values 

among the younger generation, showcasing his commitment to both music and 

community enrichment. 

 

Sibusiso Vonde-r Fihlani is a Drama therapist and applied Drama/Theatre facilitator , artvist and Festival director Ezempilo Mental Health Festival & African Brain Art festival who worked at Rural Health Advocacy Projects (RHAP) & Nkosi’s Haven with young people living with HIV. He is also a chairperson for an organisation called “Art That Matters”. He is an Atlantic Senior Fellow with Tekano for health equity & based in South Africa. This young leader has been has been awarded with numerous awards ranging from the Dr John Kani award for out outstanding theatre performance, direction and community based drama for social change under the wits school of art, the Yvonne Banning Applied drama Awarded for outstanding ethnographic research in applied drama by a postgraduate student, Justice Edwin Cameron award for social change.  

 

Camilla Pontiggia (b. 1989, Johannesburg) is an artist and filmmaker based in South Africa. Her transdisciplinary mode of work crosses fluidly between film, sound, installation, textile, performance, and writing. Using an embodied and narrative approach, her latest body of work takes as a departure point her experiences of growing up between South Africa and Italy. Guided by the viscerality of these formative experiences, she unravels her personal encounters with coloniality as a (white, christian) woman, thinking with and through gut sensations and intuitions in search of alternative forms of knowing, being, doing, and resisting. Exhibitions include the 2024 solo show “Things I Found Nelle Viscere” in Johannesburg, South Africa (The Point of Order), Padua (Museo di Geografia) and Brescia, Italy. The 2023 photographic series “whitenoisewhitegirl” was part of the Pingyao Photography Festival, and the Quanzhou Photography Biennale (China). Recent film screenings include the 2021 documentary #Am I Next? which aired on e.TV across Africa, and the 2019 documentary “Rise Black Ocean”, which screened at film festivals in London and Accra. 

 

Johannes Machinya holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of the Witwatersrand. Currently, he is a lecturer of Health Sociology at the same university. His research interests are in the interdisciplinary field of critical digital health sociology, situated at the intersection of science and technology studies (STS) and health sociology. Within this interdisciplinary domain, Machinya is particularly interested in exploring the implications of digital health technologies, artificial intelligence, and algorithms on human rights. He also examines processes of datafication and digital surveillance and their impact on data privacy and security. Furthermore, he directs his attention to the governance challenges surrounding emerging health technologies within the African context. 

 

Girma Awaki began his academic career in 2004 at Gatira Primary School, located in a remote area of Jimma, Ethiopia. After three years of dedicated service, he won a competitive advanced standing degree program organized by Jimma University. He enrolled at the university to enhance his professional qualifications, graduating with a B.Ed. in English Language and Literature in 2010.  

Following his graduation, Girma continued his career as an English language teacher in secondary and preparatory schools. After three years, he won a competition for a Master’s degree program and began his MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at Addis Ababa University in 2013, completing it in 2016.  

After earning his MA, Girma served as a lecturer at Madda Walabu University from November 24, 2016, to April 8, 2019. During this time, he taught undergraduate students across various departments and provided guidance and counseling.  

Currently, Girma is a lecturer and Assistant Managing Editor of The Ethiopian Journal of Higher Education at the Center for Educational Research, Addis Ababa University. With over 15 years of experience teaching English Language and Literature, he has developed expertise across all educational levels, from primary schools to universities.  

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Girma is actively involved in research, serving in roles such as research assistant, data enumerator, coordinator, data analyst, and report writer. He also supervises and coordinates national exams (Graduate Admission Test and Employment Test) and international exams (SAT and ACCA) at the Testing Center, Addis Ababa University.  

Currently pursuing a PhD in Higher Education Studies (HES) with a focus on quality and quality assurance systems in higher education institutions (HEIs), Girma is a seasoned professional in teaching, journal editing, and research. He is known for his flexibility, consistency, and ability to maintain a calm and professional demeanor, even under pressure. 

 

Terance Xolani Nzuza is a Johannesburg-based interdisciplinary creative in the medium of film and visual art and a PhD candidate in Film and Television at University of Witwatersrand where he completed his Masters in Fine Arts and a Bachelor Arts in Television Studies. Terance has collaborated both locally and internationally across various contexts of media including painting, theatre, film and television. 

 

Yara Gawrieh Ekmark is a scholar and writer with a passion for contemporary literature and digital media. She holds a Master of Arts degree in English from Stockholm University and has participated in exchange studies in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, where her literary fiction manuscript was nominated for the Janklow and Nesbit Bath Spa Prize in 2021. With an academic background in English literature and a focus on creative writing, Yara’s research interests revolve around the intersection of technology and creative literary expression, particularly focusing on the transformative impact of social media platforms like Instagram on modern poetry and literary communities. Yara Gawrieh Ekmark’s work explores the evolution of Instapoetry as a popular form of artistic expression, delving into its cultural significance, modes of engagement, and the ways in which it opens for new modes of thinking. 

 

Perminus Matuire started playing mbira at the age of 12 and later studied it at Masters and Ph.D. levels. He has published several articles and book chapters in ethnomusicology and presented papers at international conferences like ICTM, PASME, CIMCIM, Applied Ethnomusicology Study Group, and MESI. He has conducted research in public-sector ethnomusicology. Notable ones are the Tree Growing Project in Zimbabwe, innovation in musical instruments, San dance in Tsumkwe, Namibia, and Youth empowerment in Kwando also in Namibia. He also produced six innovations on mbira. He can teach, construct, tune, and play mbira, chipendani, and ngoma. He also teaches musicianship, music video production, and archiving. 

 

Basleal Melkie is a second year Electrical Engineering student at Addis Ababa University. Although I am a natural science student I am interested in the science of politics because I believe it has the power to affect our lives with or without our concession. I aspire to integrate my problem solving skills developed in my engineering course and my political understanding to be able to help my country to the best of my abilities. 

 

Tanja Sakota is an award-winning author and filmmaker, artistic researcher, practitioner and Associate Professor in the fields of filmmaking, storytelling, practice-based and artistic-research.  Her work focuses on the intersection of personal narrative and cultural analysis using a camera and filmmaking to uncover how lived experiences can shed light on broader societal issues.  Tanja is deeply engaged with autoethnography using personal and collective narratives as a lens to understand cultural dynamics.  She believes in making filmmaking accessible across the humanities working with filmmakers and non-filmmakers. 

As an academic, she is interested in how practice-based research and digital technologies impact independent filmmaking.  Tanja explores a range of topics from grief, personal, cultural political and historical memory and identity to storytelling methods and creative outcomes which often emphasise the transformative power of narrative in both individual and collective contexts.  

Her work is recognised for her interdisciplinary approach, blending theory and practice in ways that are accessible to both scholars and creatives.  Tanja remains an active scholar, recently publishing her book Uncovering Memory: Filming in South Africa, Germany, Poland, and Bosnia/Herzegovina (Wits University Press, 2023), winning the Faculty of Humanities Notable Research Award for Monography Publishing in 2023, and short film Shattered Reflection (2021), winning 5 international film festival awards. 

Tanja is currently working on a new manuscript focusing on memory traces through philosophical, psychological and physical spaces.