Encyclopaedia Africana · Volume 4 Production
Call for Abstract Submissions
Thematic Area: Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Epistemologies and Scientific Heritage
Preamble
The Encyclopaedia Africana Project (EAP) invites abstract submissions from scholars, researchers, scientists, practitioners, indigenous knowledge holders, traditional authorities, cultural institutions, and members of the African Diaspora for Volume IV of the Encyclopaedia Africana, under the overarching theme “Africa’s Contribution to Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).”
The EAP, a flagship project of the African Union and under the scientific guidance of the Pan-African Scientific Committee (PASC), seeks to produce a comprehensive, authoritative and enduring account of the history, development and future trajectories of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in Africa, grounded in African perspectives, indigenous knowledge systems and contemporary scientific scholarship.
In keeping with the vision of the founding fathers, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, the Encyclopaedia Africana seeks to challenge historical narratives that portray Africa merely as recipient of scientific knowledge and instead demonstrates the continent’s role as a generator, custodian, and disseminator of knowledge systems that have contributed to global civilization.
Three (3) Volumes of the Encyclopaedia Africana have previously been published, focusing primarily on biographies of distinguished heroes and heroines and selected political histories. Volume IV seeks to expand this legacy by documenting Africa’s scientific heritage, including indigenous technologies and innovation ecosystems that have sustained societies, transformed economies, and contributed to global scientific advancement.
The Encyclopaedia Africana Project Secretariat therefore invites scholars and knowledge holders from Africa and the African Diaspora to contribute to this landmark Pan-African publication.
Accepted entries will be published progressively on the Encyclopaedia Africana digital reference platform and also incorporated into the printed edition of Volume IV.
Contributors whose abstracts are accepted and who successfully complete commissioned full entries will:
- —Receive an honorarium in recognition of their scholarly contribution to Encyclopaedia Africana Volume IV.
- —Be awarded an Official Certificate of Contribution acknowledging their participation in this landmark Pan-African scholarly initiative.
- —Become part of an international network of scholars, researchers and indigenous knowledge holders contributing to one of Africa’s most significant knowledge and heritage projects.
Overview
Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Epistemologies and Scientific Heritage
African societies have, for thousands of years, generated sophisticated systems of knowledge through careful observation, experimentation, innovation and practical engagement with their environments. These knowledge traditions shaped agriculture, medicine, mining, metallurgy, architecture, engineering, manufacturing, navigation, astronomy, mathematics, governance, environmental stewardship and numerous other fields that sustained vibrant civilisations across the continent.
These intellectual traditions were embedded within African languages, philosophies, belief systems, cultural practices and social institutions. They evolved through oral transmission, apprenticeship, communal learning and intergenerational exchange, enabling societies to adapt to changing environmental, economic and social conditions.
Despite their historical significance, many of these knowledge systems were marginalised during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, colonial rule and the expansion of Eurocentric educational systems. Indigenous African epistemologies were frequently portrayed as inferior to Western knowledge traditions, while many African innovations and scientific practices were appropriated without proper recognition or benefit to their originating communities.
The Encyclopaedia Africana therefore seeks to recover, document and validate Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems as legitimate and dynamic sources of scientific inquiry, technological innovation and intellectual heritage. It also seeks to demonstrate their continuing relevance to sustainable development, environmental management, public health, education, governance and contemporary scientific research.
Contributors are invited to examine Indigenous Knowledge Systems as living, evolving and context-specific bodies of knowledge that continue to shape African societies and contribute to global scientific discourse.
Aims
Objectives
This thematic area seeks to:
- —Document Africa’s diverse indigenous knowledge systems and intellectual traditions.
- —Demonstrate Africa’s historical and contemporary contributions to science, technology and innovation.
- —Promote African epistemologies as legitimate frameworks for knowledge production.
- —Recover scientific traditions marginalised through colonialism and Eurocentric scholarship.
- —Preserve endangered knowledge systems, languages and cultural heritage.
- —Encourage interdisciplinary and community-centred research.
- —Promote ethical research practices that recognise indigenous communities as creators and custodians of knowledge.
- —Highlight the contribution of indigenous knowledge to addressing contemporary global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity conservation, food security, health and sustainable development.
Scope
Areas of Interest/Entry Categories
Abstracts are invited on, but are not limited to, the following themes.
1
African Epistemologies and Philosophies
- —African systems of knowledge
- —Indigenous philosophies of science
- —African concepts of evidence and truth
- —Ways of knowing
- —Indigenous methodologies
- —Oral intellectual traditions
- —Community-based knowledge systems
- —Indigenous education
- —Knowledge transmission
- —Ethics and moral philosophy
2
Indigenous Science, Technology and Innovation
- —Indigenous engineering
- —Metallurgy and iron-working
- —Gold mining technologies
- —Salt production
- —Pottery and ceramics
- —Textile production
- —Leather technologies
- —Basketry
- —Wood technology
- —Indigenous architecture
- —Construction technologies
- —Water engineering
- —Manufacturing systems
- —Indigenous transportation technologies
- —Maritime innovations
3
Agriculture, Environment and Sustainability
- —Indigenous agriculture
- —Soil management
- —Water conservation
- —Climate adaptation
- —Biodiversity conservation
- —Traditional ecological knowledge
- —Forest management
- —Sacred landscapes
- —Indigenous food systems
- —Resource governance
- —Sustainable production systems
4
Indigenous Medicine and Health Systems
- —Herbal medicine
- —Indigenous pharmacology
- —Traditional healing
- —Midwifery
- —Preventive medicine
- —Nutrition
- —Mental health
- —Community healthcare
- —Medical education
- —Indigenous health innovations
5
Mathematics, Astronomy and Cosmology
- —Counting systems
- —Indigenous mathematics
- —Geometry
- —Calendars
- —Time reckoning
- —Celestial observation
- —Navigation
- —Cosmological traditions
- —Measurement systems
- —Mathematical knowledge in architecture and engineering
6
Language, Culture and Knowledge Transmission
- —African languages as repositories of knowledge
- —Oral literature
- —Proverbs
- —Storytelling
- —Indigenous scripts
- —Symbolic communication
- —Adinkra
- —Nsibidi
- —Ajami manuscripts
- —Ge’ez manuscripts
- —Knowledge preservation
7
Governance, Society and Institutions
- —Indigenous governance
- —Traditional legal systems
- —Conflict resolution
- —Chieftaincy institutions
- —Community leadership
- —Indigenous diplomacy
- —Social organisation
- —Knowledge custodianship
- —Indigenous institutions
8
Colonialism, Knowledge and Decolonisation
- —Colonial education
- —Scientific racism
- —Epistemic injustice
- —Knowledge appropriation
- —Indigenous intellectual property
- —Community consent
- —Ethical research
- —Museum collections
- —Cultural restitution
- —Decolonising African scholarship
9
African Philosophical Concepts
The Encyclopaedia particularly welcomes independent entries on African philosophical ideas and intellectual traditions, including:
- —Sankofa
- —Ubuntu
- —Ma’at
- —Negritude
- —Ujamaa
- —Harambee
- —Omoluabi
- —Botho
- —African Humanism
- —Seriti
- —Ancestorhood
- —Communitarianism
- —Sacred Ecology
- —Reciprocity
- —Collective Responsibility
10
Indigenous Knowledge and Contemporary Development
- —Climate resilience
- —Sustainable development
- —Public health
- —Biodiversity conservation
- —Artificial Intelligence and indigenous knowledge
- —Digital preservation
- —Education reform
- —Food security
- —Renewable technologies
- —Innovation ecosystems
Contributions Welcomed
Types of Entries
The Encyclopaedia welcomes entries on:
- —Individuals
- —Communities
- —Indigenous institutions
- —Scientific traditions
- —Technologies
- —Philosophical concepts
- —Cultural practices
- —Historical events
- —Heritage sites
- —Artefacts
- —Intellectual movements
- —Biographical profiles
- —Knowledge systems
- —Languages
- —Scientific discoveries
Standards
Editorial Expectations
Contributors should:
- —Demonstrate originality, scholarly rigour and intellectual integrity.
- —Employ multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches where appropriate.
- —Critically examine the philosophical assumptions, methodologies and ethical frameworks that shape knowledge production.
- —Recognise indigenous communities as creators, custodians and beneficiaries of knowledge.
- —Consider the impact of research on the communities whose knowledge is being documented.
- —Respect principles of informed consent, cultural sensitivity and equitable benefit-sharing.
- —Present diverse viewpoints, particularly those of historically marginalised communities.
- —Highlight the diversity, dynamism and contemporary relevance of African knowledge systems.
- —Engage, where appropriate, with African languages and indigenous concepts in their original linguistic contexts.
Who Can Apply
Eligibility
The call is open to:
- —Academics and researchers
- —Indigenous knowledge holders
- —Traditional authorities
- —Scientists
- —Historians
- —Anthropologists
- —Archaeologists
- —Linguists
- —Philosophers
- —Medical practitioners
- —Environmental scientists
- —Engineers
- —Museum and heritage professionals
- —Archivists
- —Cultural practitioners
- —Graduate researchers
- —Members of African and Diaspora institutions
Collaborative and interdisciplinary submissions are strongly encouraged.
Preparing Your Abstract
Submission Guidelines
Interested contributors should submit:
- —An abstract of 500–800 words.
- —A brief biography (maximum 150 words).
- —Five to seven keywords.
- —Institutional affiliation (where applicable).
- —Email address and telephone contact.
Abstracts should clearly indicate the proposed title, objectives, methodology, principal sources and significance of the proposed Encyclopaedia entry.
Process
Review and Commissioning
All submitted abstracts will undergo peer review by members of the Pan-African Scientific Committee and the Editorial Board of the Encyclopaedia Africana. Authors of selected abstracts will be formally commissioned to prepare full Encyclopaedia entries in accordance with the Encyclopaedia’s Editorial Guidelines and Style Manual.
Recognition
Honorarium and Certification
Contributors whose abstracts are accepted and who successfully complete commissioned full entries will:
- —Receive an honorarium in recognition of their scholarly contribution to Encyclopaedia Africana Volume IV.
- —Be awarded an Official Certificate of Contribution acknowledging their participation in this landmark Pan-African scholarly initiative.
- —Become part of an international network of scholars, researchers and indigenous knowledge holders contributing to one of Africa’s most significant knowledge and heritage projects.
Submission Procedure
Abstracts should be submitted electronically to:
Subject Line: Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Epistemologies and Scientific Heritage – [Author Name]
Languages
Abstracts May Be Submitted In
- —English
- —French
- —Arabic
- —Portuguese
- —Kiswahili
- —Spanish
Contributors are encouraged to use African languages where appropriate, particularly when discussing indigenous medical concepts, therapeutic practices and pharmacological knowledge that are best understood within their original linguistic and cultural contexts.
Timeline
Important Dates
Get in Touch
Contact Information
For further inquiries, please contact:
Encyclopaedia Africana Project Secretariat
EMAIL: info@encyclopaediaafricana.com/eapsecretariat@gmail.com
Closing Statement
This Call for Abstracts offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a landmark intellectual initiative aimed at documenting and advancing Africa’s scientific, technological, and Innovative heritage. Contributors are encouraged to bring forward innovative, rigorous, and transformative perspectives.
ISSUED BY:
Encyclopaedia Africana Project Secretariat
On behalf of the Pan-African Scientific Committee
