Webinar on Telling Research Stories
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In an era of growing global research output, sharing research findings with their intended audiences remains a challenge for researchers. Therefore, the ability to communicate research findings effectively beyond academia is now a central goal rather than a minor concern. Whether engaging policymakers, communities, students, or the media, researchers must translate complex ideas into clear, engaging narratives that inform, inspire, influence, and promote positive change. This webinar, Telling Research Stories: Communicating Science to Non-Expert Audiences, aims to equip researchers, academics, and postgraduate students with the skills and strategies needed to make their work accessible and impactful. It also seeks to outline various avenues for disseminating research findings to reach diverse audiences.
The webinar explores the importance of research communication in a world marked by information overload, public mistrust, and the rise of artificial intelligence. It also investigates the power of storytelling and how to adapt messages for different audiences using various formats, including blogs, policy briefs, infographics, social media, and public talks. Real-world examples and brief activities will demonstrate how to distil key messages without compromising the integrity of the research.
This webinar is part of the WITS-TUB-UNILAG Urban Lab’s series of knowledge-sharing sessions, specifically aimed at preparing early-career researchers to engage with diverse audiences.
SPEAKER: Godfred Akoto Boafo
Commissioning Editor, The Conversation Africa
Godfred Akoto Boafo is a journalist and social activist. He is currently the commissioning editor of The Conversation Africa. He plays a key role in training African academics to write for a general audience as part of The Conversation’s mandate. He has worked as managing editor for Pulse Ghana and Business Insider Africa in Kenya. His main areas of interest are community development, international relations, and sports. He uses his platform as co-host of Accra’s most listened-to English-language radio morning show to speak for minorities and promote community development. A strong advocate for social inclusion through sports, Godfred also runs Taking Over Stars, a football and skills project that caters to underserved teenagers in his Dansoman community.
COMMENTOR: Grace Lubaale
Human Settlements Officer and Manager, Berbera Urban Development Project Head, UN-Habitat Somaliland Office, Regional Office for Africa
Grace Lubaale is the Human Settlements Officer and Manager of the Berbera Urban Development Project. He also serves as the Head of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Somaliland Office, Regional Office for Africa.
CONVENOR: George Kwadwo Anane
Postdoctoral Fellow, WITS-TUB-UNILAG Urban Lab Postdoctoral Fellow, CUBES, University of the Witwatersrand Deputy Registrar, University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR)
George Anane, who is a Deputy Registrar at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani, is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in CUBES (June to December 2025) funded by the WITS-TUB-UNILAG Urban Lab. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer in Geography and Sustainability Science at UENR. George’s PhD on peri-urban land administration and spatial change in Ghana (2022) was in the School of Architecture and Planning under the WITS-TUB-UNILAG Urban Lab. George has published on peri-urban transformation, place-making through the informal economy and land use planning in Ghana. George’s current research in the Kelvin-Alexandra-Frankenwald City Studio focuses on the informal economy, planning, and spatial justice.
Please register here!
