Editorial Outline
Global Africa is a place of analysis and debate on the position of Africa in the world engaged with global issues. It is committed to aligning itself with "sustainability science," "citizen science," and forward-looking research.
In the pursuit of strengthening the ecosystem of scientific knowledge dissemination in Africa, articles published by Global Africa will meet a major requirement: addressing subjects that advance knowledge and the understanding of reality, within and interdisciplinary perspective, based on established theoretical and conceptual frameworks, as well as proven empirical data. For example, both original and critical contributions on issues aligned with international agendas (human security, migrations, health, education, environment, natural resources, demographics, gender, inequalities, urbanization, democracy, etc.) are expected, along with reflections on the rationalities, values, and practices at play in the problematization of questions claiming to shape the "development trajectories" of the continent.
Furthermore, the ethical, political, and economic challenges linked to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, whether it be artificial intelligence, Big Data, trans-post-humanism, nanotechnologies, digital technologies, biopolitics, global governance, surveillance society, etc., will be explored from the continent. From this perspective, Global Africa considers fruitful to engage in dialogue between the humanities and social sciences with digital and experimental sciences, following the perspectives opened up, for example, by the STEAM approach (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics). Beyond calls for interdisciplinarity, the objective is concretely to welcome analyses emanating from various disciplinary spaces as long as they—whether in a reflective or applied approach—enrich the reflections aimed at understanding the dynamics at work on the continent.
Situated in the field of global studies, the journal nonetheless pays great attention to what happens at the local level. Global Africa deems it essential to tackle subjects that resonate with "local" concerns, emanating from the social body—whether it be individuals or groups experiencing them on a daily basis or those organizing and governing them— including those of women, youth, and marginalized individuals. The journal therefore opens itself to arts, cultures, techniques, and non-academic knowledge, engaging in discussions with recognized experts in their field. This conviction of the necessary (co)production of robust knowledge, not only for its own sake but also for society, will be reflected in the publication of texts with complementary formats accompanying the classic scientific articles. In doing so, Global Africa embraces an explicit policy of openness:
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openness to contributors from all disciplinary and intellectual backgrounds;
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opening towards themes whose paradigms will be rethought (from objects to interfaces, on science fronts);
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openness to users of the knowledge produced (actors in civil society, activists and political decision-makers, private sector);
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and, finally, openess to the African languages mobilized as languages of research and work.
The conviction of Global Africa is that these openings will be all the more legitimate if they are based on knowledge produced and validated through the best academic standards.
Global Africa, values transcontinental comparative approaches, ensuring that the perspectives of researchers from and through Africa allow us to consider its place in the world, in globalization, its history, and its future trajectories all intertwined. Not that this place cannot be understood or even measured solely from the experiences of the continent, but more precisely with the conviction that putting it in perspective with what is happening in other spaces renews its readings. The relevance and intellectual added value of comparison are among the tools advocated. Such issues and questions require the voices of African researchers and engaged diasporas to be heard in order to rethink classical analytical frameworks, reformulate problems, and innovate theoretically and methodologically.