Young African Researchers Sharpen Data Analysis Skills at Afrobarometer Summer School
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
Cape Town, South Africa – Thirty-two young African researchers from 14 countries are honing their research and data analysis skills at the 2025 Afrobarometer Summer School and Thematic Workshop hosted at the University of Cape Town.
Afrobarometer is committed to empowering women in research and data-driven policymaking as over half of the participants are women.
The summer school, running from 13 to 31 January, equips participants with foundational skills in research design, survey methodology, and public attitude analysis on democracy, governance, and other critical topics.
A concurrent two-week intermediate workshop, ending on 2 February, dives deeper into advanced data collection and analysis techniques.
According to Afrobarometer’s capacity building manager, Jason Owen, the initiative not only builds scholars’ capacities but also fosters impactful research networks across Africa.
Participants, like Ruth Nakayima from Uganda, are optimistic about the transformative impact. “This workshop enhances my ability to use data for social development and address political engagement among refugees,” Nakayima said.
Afrobarometer continues to bridge Africa’s data gap with extensive open-access datasets, contributing to global indices and empowering the next generation of African researchers.
