These scholars will undertake short-term research placements under Open AIR’s flagship Regulation for Innovation project. Four inbound fellows will take up residency at the University of Ottawa, while three outbound fellows will conduct research in Togo, Cameroon, and Senegal. Collectively, their projects address health sovereignty, responsible AI, grassroots innovation, education, gender equality, entrepreneurship, and digital justice.
At the University of Ottawa, postdoctoral scholar Dr. Volviane Mfogo is working to build a Community of Practice for responsible AI by connecting grassroots innovators in Cameroon and other West African countries with Canadian networks. Alongside Dr. Mfogo, Emile Salomon Zambo Assembe, a doctoral student at Université de Montréal, is developing a curriculum to enhance Cameroonian policymakers’ capacity in intellectual property and AI innovation. Dr. Norris Erhabor is collaborating with student teachers in Canada and Nigeria to co-create low-cost environmental education materials, demonstrating how local solutions can support sustainable pedagogy. Meanwhile, Anthony Oguguo, a uOttawa PhD candidate, is reimagining Africa’s health sovereignty by examining how innovations in intellectual property such as patent pooling and technology transfer, can improve equitable access to vaccines and health technologies.
The outbound scholars are pursuing equally impactful work. In Yaoundé, Cameroon, Dr. Marie Laure Belomo Onguene is investigating how artificial intelligence in higher education both reduces and reinforces gender inequalities, with the ultimate aim of developing inclusive policy frameworks. In Dakar, Senegal, Abdelhamid Benhmade, a uOttawa PhD candidate, is exploring the role of African cities in strengthening Afro-Canadian economic relations, using Dakar as his case study. And in Lomé, Togo, Dr. Yobare Yentiare is examining how digital illiteracy affects women’s access to justice, proposing inclusive frameworks to prevent the emergence of digital judicial deserts.
The presence of both French- and English-speaking scholars in this cohort strengthens Open AIR’s engagement in Francophone Africa, advancing the network’s bilingual reach and reinforcing its inclusive mandate.
This new group joins two recently appointed postdoctoral fellows, Dr. Ogochukwu Monye and Dr. Onyema Otitodiri, who are also undertaking placements at uOttawa through the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program. Together, this diverse cohort exemplifies Open AIR’s collaborative approach to tackling global challenges. From rethinking intellectual property rights to advancing gender-equitable AI and building grassroots innovation networks, their work highlights the vital role of research in shaping policies for a more inclusive and sustainable future.
These fellowships are supported by the Queen Elizabeth Scholars - Advanced Scholars West Africa program, with additional funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
For more information, please contact Open AIR Program Manager, Dr. Yvonne Ndelle at openair@uottawa.ca; Open AIR’s New and Emerging Researchers’ Group (NERG) Lead, Dr. Ghati Nyehita at gnyehita@uottawa.ca; or NERG Deputy Lead, Khadiga Hassan at khadigha.hassan@aucegypt.edu.