The second face-to-face workshop of the PAPA programme entitled “Hampaté Bâ workshops” was held from 30 August to 10 September 2021 at Point Sud Bamako. Initially planned to be held every six months in Bamako, the PAPA team met again after 18 months. It is after the holding of two online meetings, and because of the health advances related to the global pandemic of COVID-19, that the organising committee deemed it wise to hold a face-to-face workshop again. The workshop was designed to be a hybrid of face-to-face and video-conference participation. This choice was made to allow mentors and laureates who were not present to participate in the workshop.
During the 10 days, the objective of the workshop was to draw attention to the main challenge of research, namely the knowledge base. This objective was part of a more general objective to encourage a deeper engagement with the academic meaning of the researcher’s work with a particular emphasis on the conceptual aspect. It was with a view to achieving these objectives that the presentations of our mentors (Prof Augustin Emane, Prof Socpa Antoine and Prof Alfred Inis Ndiaye) and scientific director (Prof Elisio Macamo) followed one another, most of which were moderated by Prof Mamadou Diawara and Tieman Diarra and Augustin Emane. All in all, these presentations gave rise to very enriching discussions. These exchanges were an opportunity for the laureates to better understand the lessons learned and the exercises that followed.
Thus, despite the health situation linked to COVID-19, the “Hampaté Bâ workshops” were a great success on both an organisational and intellectual level. This meeting, under the seal of reunion, also favoured a strengthening of links. Our participants left enriched in scientific knowledge and motivated to face the next challenges.
