Spreading the Word: CIDRA’s Journey at UDSM Research and Innovation Week 2025
On Observation Hill, 13 kilometers from the city center on the western side of Dar es Salaam, where the breeze and weather carried the hum of intellectual curiosity, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) bustled with energy. It was the 10th Research and Innovation Week 2025—a landmark event that brought together academics, researchers, students, innovators, and policy experts from across Tanzania and beyond. Among the research and innovation initiatives showcased, the CIDRA Academic Conference 2026 attracted visitors with its cross-continental ambition.
CIDRA, short for Creating a Joint Infrastructure for Dialogue, Research, and Advocacy between Europe and Africa, is more than just a conference—it is a movement. CIDRA aims to bridge two continents, foster collaboration, promote equitable research, and deepen mutual understanding through academic dialogue and advocacy. At UDSM’s Research and Innovation Week 2025, that message began to take root.
“We are confident and optimistic that our first academic event currently being organized at the University of Dar es Salaam for April, 2026 will be a success..” said Dr Stephen Kirama, CIDRA Coordinator at UDSM when he posed before one of the banners displayed at the Research week.
With two roll-up banners featuring information about the CIDRA project and its upcoming academic conference, and stacks of neatly printed brochures embedded with QR codes linking to the CIDRA website, the CIDRA team joined the UDSM community for one of the most important academic gatherings of the year. Their mission was clear: to share information about the CIDRA project and conference, distribute the call for papers, and spark the interest of scholars, researchers, and emerging voices who could help shape its agenda.
The CIDRA booth quickly became a point of interest. Faculty members paused at the banners to read about the CIDRA Academic Conference and project, ask questions, and explore the conference themes and topics listed in the call for papers brochure—hoping to find a theme that aligned with their research interests. Young researchers scanned the QR code with curiosity, intrigued by the opportunity to publish and present on an international platform.
Beyond the booth, the CIDRA message traveled even further. Team members moved from one booth to another, engaging in one-on-one conversations with researchers, handing out brochures, and answering questions.
“What excites me,” said a faculty member from the School of Business Management “is that this isn’t just another North-led research initiative. CIDRA feels like a true partnership—one where Africa is not just included, but centered.”
During the week, CIDRA’s vision leapt from paper to possibility. The seeds of dialogue, research, and advocacy had been planted—and the academic community at UDSM showed they were ready to help them grow. By the end of the exhibition, more than 180 brochures had been distributed.
CIDRA (an acronym for Creating a joint Infrastructure for Dialogue, Research and Advocacy between Europe and Africa) aims at building a permanent network of scholarly reflection, joint research,exchange of methodologies, and advocacy to strengthening regional integration andcooperation in and between Africa and Europe.
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