Akinyinka Akinyoade new chair of the ASCL Researchers' Assembly

Senior researcher Dr Akinyinka Akinyoade is the new chair of the ASCL Researchers' Assembly. Akinyoade took over from Prof. Jan Abbink during the Researchers' Assembly of 19 January 2022, where Prof. Abbink was thanked warmly for his exemplary leadership of and commitment to the Researchers' Assembly for many years.

'It is my vision to consolidate the continuous gains of the activities of our Collaborative Research Groups,' Akinyoade commented on his new role, 'and to further promote individual research activities, strengthen the teaching-research balance of ASCL staff, and deepen the collaboration of research staff with the ASCL support staff, library and studentship, as well as the wider community of scholars and stakeholders of African interests in Africa, Leiden, and Europe.' 

Akinyinka Akinyoade is a hydrologist turned demographer. He obtained a Doctoral degree in Development Studies with emphasis on Population and Rural Development at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague. Akinyinka’s research activities are on population health and development, with special attention on fertility dynamics and family planning in West Africa; migration (human trafficking and forced labour in Nigeria); decentralisation (public service delivery in education and health sectors of Nigeria, Cameroon, Tanzania and Indonesia). He is a member of the collaborative research group Governance, entrepreneurship and inclusive development, and the convenor of the collaborative research group Pioneering futures of health and well-being: actors, technologies and social engineering.

The researchers and teaching staff of the African Studies Centre Leiden meet every three months within the Researchers' Assembly to discuss research and teaching news and activities, including the Graduate Programme African Studies.