In Sierra Leone, Walk With Web Inc. (WWW) and its partners have strengthened their ties with Central University in Freetown and the Sierra Leone Public Archives (SLPA) by expanding their partnerships recently. This development creates new opportunities for internships and training for faculty members and students, in addition to improving the ongoing work of digitizing historical manuscripts.
Funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and The British Library in the UK allowed CEO Kartikay Chadha and Directors Professors Paul Lovejoy, Suzanne Schwarz, and Katrina Keefer to lead a research trip to Freetown, Sierra Leone. The team had fruitful conversations with Albert Moore, the Senior Government Archivist, and his colleagues at SLPA during their visit. They came to an understanding regarding the creation of the archive’s website, with an emphasis on making money to fund infrastructure and future development.
For the past ten years, Professors Lovejoy and Schwarz at Fourah Bay College have been working with SLPA to digitize historical manuscripts about the nineteenth-century histories of Freetown and Sierra Leone, made possible by a grant from The British Library’s Endangered Archive program. These priceless resources include official policies enforced by the British Crown Colony, as well as testimonies from former slaves and their descendants. Researchers will have simple access to these resources through the soon-to-be-developed WWW website, which will feature newspaper articles, biographical narratives, audio and video documentation, and more.
An important step forward was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Trent University and Central University by Prof. Katrina Keefer and graduate students from Trent University. The goal of this collaboration, which is being led by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Bob Conteh and Chancellor Muckson Sesay, is to provide Central University students with internship opportunities in digital technologies. To improve knowledge sharing and capacity building, the agreement also includes two-way training opportunities for staff, faculty, and students of cooperating partners.
Establishing international partnerships and promoting academic exchange, the partnership between Trent University and Central University is a significant achievement. Students at Central University will benefit from practical instruction and internship opportunities in digital technologies, which will enhance their professional growth and skill set.
In addition to bolstering ongoing research and digitization efforts, the expansion of partnerships with SLPA and Central University in Sierra Leone opens up new avenues for cooperation and knowledge exchange. Walk With Web Inc. continues to promote the growth and sustainability of global research in the humanities and social sciences through these initiatives.
The collaborations established in Sierra Leone have enormous potential to further research, preserve historical records, and promote academic development. Walk With Web’s commitment to advancing education and research in diverse communities worldwide is embodied in its commitment to collaboration and capacity building.
