MARCAD Leadership Workshop: Training the next African scientists Leaders

As part of its training and personal development activities, MARCAD organized a weekly course on Leadership at the University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon from 14th to 28th October 2019. The five day workshop aimed at improving the leadership capacity of MARCAD fellows and other support staff.

It further delivered the needed leadership skills that enable them to be more effective in their scientific work and collaboration with others across disciplinary and professional boundaries.

« Before this training I was confused about the concept of Leadership because I didn’t know much about it. I was wondering why a leadership course for scientists. I thought this course was more aimed at those who were doing social science. But at the end of the training, I realized that a researcher does also need to have knowledge and skills in Leadership to better manage his team » said Armando Djiyou, a PhD student from UY1.

The Course was led by Prof Anthony Kasozi from Quilibra Consulting, based in the United Kingdom. Prof Kasozi is a consultant who has wide experience in business coaching. He has worked in an advisory capacity on strategy, organization and leadership development assignments across the world.
During five days, the attendees who are mainly MARCAD fellows and PhD students, have beneficiated from a very interactive course which enables them to discuss and practice different aspects of scientist Leadership. Key aspects of the training include the following:
•How to effectively address management/leadership challenges that affect their work and effectiveness as scientists working with and through others.
•How, as managers and leaders in science, one can develop and practice the essential skills and approaches required to have effective (and sometimes challenging) conversations to strengthen, change or enhance working relationships and collegiate performance.
•How to manage oneself as a manager and leader, and how one can have a motivating and supportive impact on others, while remaining focused and responsible for high quality results.
•How to engage and work with each other in dialogue, develop new and innovative ideas, and create shared perspectives and ventures to initiate and nurture new possibilities, creating new solutions and ways of resolving intractable situations.

After answering to all the question, Prof Anthony Kasozi subjected the participant to a series of practical exercises which allow them to put themselves in the position of a leader through interactive-work teams. They also practiced how to be resilient and look after themselves and their teams as leaders.
« It was a very enlightening course. It enabled me to appreciate what my leadership style was and also to identify some area that needed improvement. In addition it gave me the opportunity to self-reflect and to really understand my own leadership roles and how to deal with those above and below my level of leadership in my organization. I hope to be able to put this knowledge and skills to good use both in my organization as a lecturer as well as in my team as a postdoctoral fellow. » argued Gifty Ampofo, a MARCAD postdoctoral fellow.

The workshop participants had the opportunity to participate in very rich sharing sessions on leadership experience made by the MARCAD Director, Prof Oumar Gaye, MARCAD/Cameroon PI, Prof Wilfred Mbacham and Dr Magatte Ndiaye. They respectively made speeches and engaged in a question-answers session to share their great experiences as leaders and to give advice to the next generation of African scientists.
PhD student Golwa Dinza, highlighted the importance of the leadership course, which, according to him allowed him to make his introspection as a young leader and realized that he had a lot of aspects to improve on his person.
« For example how to make myself better heard, defend my opinion amongst my peers both of which were difficult for me before the course. This course allowed me to overcome many of my difficulties. I am convinced that after this I will no longer have a problem of communicating my vision to others and I will effectively sharing my research skills » he explained.