Researchers under the Making and Implementing Decisions in Urban Transport in Africa (MID-UTA) programme have undergone a capacity building on research writing and scientific publishing in a move aimed at strengthening academic research output and policy-driven scholarship across the region.
The four-day Journal Manuscript Writing Bootcamp, held from April 24 to 27, 2026, brought together nine participants from the MID-UTA project and other research initiatives for hands-on mentorship in manuscript preparation, journal selection and scientific writing.
MID-UTA is a three-year research programme led by Multimedia University of Kenya and fully funded by the Volvo Research and Education Foundation. The project is spearheaded by Dr. Gladys Nyachieo, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology.
According to organisers, the training was designed to address a common challenge faced by scholars and research projects where scientific papers are delayed or never published despite extensive research work being undertaken.
“Conducting and publishing research is a core requirement for university academic staff and scholars. However, many research findings never make it to publication due to heavy teaching workloads, limited writing support and inadequate scientific writing expertise,” said Dr. Nyachieo.
During the workshop, participants worked on actual manuscripts while receiving guidance on journal requirements, scientific quality, writing style and publication processes. To sustain momentum, the researchers committed to dedicating at least 60 minutes daily to manuscript writing while engaging through a WhatsApp support group and direct consultations with the facilitator.
The bootcamp was facilitated by Melecki Scientific Cafè (MSC), an initiative that supports researchers through in-person and online writing and publishing mentorship programmes.
The capacity-building initiative coincided with the visit of Donald Phiri, a lecturer in the ICT Department at Mzuzu University and a PhD student in Innovation and Development at Malawi University of Science and Technology.
Phiri, who is also sponsored by the Volvo Research and Education Foundation, is attached to the MID-UTA programme at MMU to support ongoing research activities and learn from the mentorship of Dr. Nyachieo.
His doctoral research focuses on “Mobility as a Service Framework for Low-Income Countries: Case of Malawi,” a study that aligns with MID-UTA’s broader mission of improving urban transport decision-making in Africa.
