Beyond Lockdown: Fellows write about the Corona Crisis
"Beyond Lockdown: Research in Suspense?" by Matthew Sabbi
I took up the Bayreuth Academy fellowship after a highly engaging 4-month stay at the Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), University of Ghana, Accra. Hence, I had anticipated the Academy environment would offer the platform for me to shift focus from one research perspective to another. ...more
"The Panic in the Pandemic: Personal Memoir" by Taofik Adesanmi
Despite the claim that there had been no cases of Covid-19 at the University of Bayreuth since the disease sneaked into the country in January 2020, the Bavarian Ministry of Science requested that all Bavarian State Universities suspend classroom teachings. Following this ministerial directive, the university discontinued all teaching operations, and administrative activities were also adjusted from 11 March 2020. ...more
"Fellowship in lockdown" by Ulrike Bergermann
After two weeks of not feeling well and worrying about my loved ones, in April of 2020 I began to realize the many ways my fellowship enabled several months of a living and working mode I had longed for. ...more
"Together Apart: Kenya’s New Normal during Covid-19 Pandemic" by Stephen Mutie
The Kenyan community of existence, brotherhood, and carefree fellowship laced with laughter and wild partying is gone. The alluring aroma of Nyama Choma (roasted meat) better enjoyed with a legion of friends and family are now replaced by sullen lone meditations in the stifling covens of personal libraries, empty compounds, and deserted streets. The breathtaking sceneries of the natural flora and fauna in Kenya are no longer magical. The aura has been forcefully towed away from our very eyes by the novel Coronavirus. ...more