I am a Professor (full professor/Hoogleraar) at the Institute of Development Policy at Antwerp University. My work lies at the intersection of political science, development – and area – studies, and relies heavily on field research.
I’m the author of ‘Nasser Road. Political Posters in Uganda‘ (editor, Eriskay Connection), ‘Rebel Lives. Photographs from inside the Lord’s Resistance Army’ (Hannibal Books/ FOMU), and Negotiating Public Services in the Congo (edited with Tom De Herdt, Zed Books), in addition to articles for academic publications such as African Affairs, International Affairs and many others. I am a regular contributor to a variety of media-platforms, such as The New Humanitarian, Washington Post’s Monkey Cage, African Arguments, Al Jazeera, and many others.
I focus on governance- and conflict- dynamics in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I study the ways in which the state interacts with a range of non-state actors at a variety of scales and with a variety of actors: rebel groups, international donors, local non-state actors, and so on.
I am fascinated by the use of visual material, both as a research method, as a way to make academic output available to a broader audience, and for its aesthetic value in itself. My books ‘Nasser Road’, and the book & exhibition Rebel Lives – in collaboration with Georges Senga, Rein Deslé and others – is an important example.
I obtained my PhD at the Conflict Research Group, Ghent University, in 2007. I was a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE) in 2013-2014, at the Department of International Development. I have worked, and continue to work, closely with a number of Universities in the DRC and Uganda, through VLIR-UOS partnerships.
I regularly engage with policy, in a number of ways. I for example was an expert witness at the International Criminal Court for the case of ex-LRA commander Dominic Ongwen; or my spotlight briefing for the UNDP Borderlands Centre, where I wrote about informal cross-border trade along the Uganda-DRC border.
I live with my family in Antwerp, and spend a lot of time on Antwerp’s playgrounds with our three kids. I’m fascinated with photography (I studied photography at the Luca School of Arts, Ghent, 2003-2007). Have a look at this website to see some of my own work.
Contact: Kristof.titeca (at) uantwerp.be
You can follow me on Twitter, Researchgate, Academia or Instagram. (but please reach out via email, rather than through messaging on these platforms).
Arua, Uganda, 2020. (c) Kristof Titeca
Arua, Uganda, 2020. (c) Kristof Titeca
Kampala, January 2020 (c) Kristof Titeca
Garamba National Park, Gangala na Bodio (c) Kristof Titeca
Faradje, DR Congo, January 2020 (c) Kristof Titeca
Kinshasa (c) Kristof Titeca
Kampala (c) Kristof Titeca
Available PhD scholarship
Please see the call for PhD scholarships below in the framework of a new VLIR-UOS project I'm co-leading. The second PhD scholarship, on social sciences, would be supervised by myself at the IOB, at the University of Antwerp.
EMPURECO PROJECT
Call for applications for 1 MSc and 2 PhD candidates
EMPowering Ugandan REfugee–host COmmunities in becoming climate resilient (EMPURECO)
Project background
Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee–hosting country. The influx of refugees leads to an increased competition for land and water which, in combination with climate change, results in environmental degradation and higher socio-economic fragility. The EMPURECO project aims to understand these dynamics, and empower the refugee and host communities in two selected settlements (Nakivale and Rhino Camp) in becoming climate resilient.
A multi-actor approach targets the engagement of citizens, governmental, non-governmental organisations and academics in planning climate resilience. A citizen science approach will build capacity and awareness while also gathering needed data on soil and water quality. At the same time, the project aims at improving Mbarara University’s academic capacity in the natural and social sciences aspects of climate resilience (including the provision of 1 MSc and 2 PhD scholarships).
The EMPURECO project is coordinated by the University of Antwerp (UA, Belgium) and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST, Uganda), implemented in partnership with Muni University, Makerere University and 3 NGOs working with refugee-host communities in Nakivale and Rhino Camp settlements. The project will be implemented over 5-years (September 2024 – August 2029), with funding from the Belgian Government through VLIR-UOS.
Project research focus
Preliminary research has shown that the post-2016 refugee influx in Uganda has led to strong pressure on land and water resources in and around refugee settlements. This has not only led to social tensions (related to competition for land and water), but also environmental degradation (land degradation, deforestation, water pollution). Climate change is already occurring and further adds social tension and environmental degradation. Little in-depth knowledge is available about these dynamics, and as a result, policies and interventions that enhance climate resilience both from an environmental and social point of view remain underdeveloped.
Based on collaborative academic research in 2 refugee settlements in Uganda – Nakivale and Rhino camp– (academic objective), our aim is to support the resilience building of refugee–host communities to both climate change impacts as well as the sustainable use of land and water resource (developmental objective). The MSc and PhD students will contribute to building a better understanding of land and water access and tenure in and around refugee settlements, based on qualitative research (semi-structured interviews, focus groups and participatory methodologies), a household survey and spatio-temporal analysis (remote sensing); constructing a climate resilience index, which is able to score climate resilience at household and institutional level, and serves evidence-based decision-making; and using laboratory-based analysis and a citizen science network (with rapid on-site testing kits) to collect data on soil and water quality.
Both social and natural science PhD students will be involved in a number of key-activities of the project: (i) setting up the citizen scientist network, (ii) involvement in the multi-stakeholder platforms, where they will present their ongoing research for feedback, at the onset of the project.
PhD 1: Natural Science PhD student
The natural science PhD student will concentrate on the biophysical-chemical aspects of the project. In particular, the student will: (i) report on climate-related vulnerability focusing on the access to, and tenure of, land and water, for refugees and host communities, through surveying c. 600 households within each settlement, (ii) construct a climate resilience index at household and institutional level, (iii) establish water quality, detailed land use/farming practices and natural hazards within the two settlements with the help of the citizen scientists (also referred to as the Refugee-Host Community “RHC” scientists) who will utilise rapid on-site testing kits and an electronic mobile phone-based tool, and, iv) undertake laboratory-based water sample analysis for validating and supporting RHC scientist data.
PhD 2: Social Science PhD student
This student will focus on the socio-economic strand of the project. More concretely, this student will operationalise an inclusive multi-actor science–policy–society mechanism that integrates refugees, climate and environment domains, through the involvement of both refugees and host communities, refugee-led organisations and governmental actors from the start to the end of the project. This will culminate in the co-creation of visions and interventions, building empowerment and policy uptake. It is anticipated that this will be achieved through employing methodologies geared towards knowledge co-creation, exchange of evidence generated by the project, discovery of barriers and opportunities for climate resilience, examining the existing resilience/agency for climate resilience, co-development of a common vision, assessment of feasibility of potential interventions, and provision of a selection of most promising interventions together with recommendations and support on realising the transition to climate resilience. The student will employ innovative social science methods ranging from interviews, focus group discussions, extended participant observation (‘vigils’), and leveraging socio-economic data gathered through the citizen science approach.
MSc Student
The MSc student will reconstruct detailed land use and land cover change patterns linked to refugee influxes in the two settlements, validate remotely-sensed data, undertake land use change detection and soil analysis over several growing seasons in refugee-host communities, to explore the linkage between yields (stablished through the Citizen Science [RHC] network) and soil quality. The MSc student will double as a “Research Associate” with a pivotal role of managing the RHC network on a day-to-day basis, and supporting PhD students’ research and basic project management.
PhD 1: Natural Science PhD Applicant’s Profile
– Must hold a MSc degree in Geography, Environmental Science, Climate Change, Natural Resource Management, or a related science discipline;
– Must have obtained upper second class (or better) from Bachelor’s and Master’s degree;
– Must have experience in survey-based field research and/or participatory approaches;
– Must have experience in the use of geomatics (GIS) and quantitative analytical techniques;
– Must be highly motivated to undertake academic research in an international context;
– Must be hard-working and able to manage a project independently, taking initiative and meeting deadlines;
– Must develop a Succinct concept note (pre-proposal) of max. 5 pages (Font: Times New Roman, Font size 12, Line spacing 1.15) and demonstrate ability to finish it and produce a fully researchable and competitive proposal;
– Ready to bring creativity, uncovering hidden issues that will benefit the project, science and local livelihoods in general;
– Must be sincere, and willing to respect agreements; must understand the relevance of project confidentiality and proper data handling and processing;
– Must be willing to contribute to administrative management of the project;
– Must demonstrate academic leadership and are –if needed– keen to supervise MSc students;
– Must demonstrate good interpersonal and organizational skills, with attention to detail, to interact with other project partners and stakeholders;
– Affiliation to a university or research institute or already a staff member of MUST (preferably) is advantageous, but Ugandan candidates outside these institutions are equally eligible to apply.
– Must be willing to develop research at MUST and continue to contribute to the teaching and research mission of MUST beyond the project lifetime.
– Female candidates that satisfy the above conditions are particularly encouraged to apply.
PhD 2: Social Science PhD Applicant’s Profile
– Must hold a MA degree in Development Studies, Sociology, Political Sciences or Anthropology, or a related discipline;
– Must have obtained upper second class (or better) from Bachelor’s and Master’s degree;
– Must have experience in social science research, and qualitative research in particular;
– Must be highly motivated to undertake academic research in an international context;
– Must be hard-working and able to manage a project independently, taking initiative and meeting deadlines;
– Must develop a Succinct concept note (pre-proposal) of max. 5 pages (Font: Times New Roman, Font size 12, Line spacing 1.15) and demonstrate ability to finish it and produce a fully researchable and competitive proposal;
– Ready to bring creativity, uncovering hidden issues that will benefit the project, science and local livelihoods in general;
– Must be sincere, and willing to respect agreements; must understand the relevance of project confidentiality and proper data handling and processing;
– Must be willing to contribute to administrative management of the project;
– Must demonstrate academic leadership and are –if needed– keen to supervise MA students;
– Must demonstrate good interpersonal and organizational skills, with attention to detail, to interact with other project partners and stakeholders;
– Affiliation to a university or research institute or already a staff member of MUST (preferably) is advantageous, but Ugandan candidates outside these institutions are equally eligible to apply.
– Must be willing to develop research at MUST and continue to contribute to the teaching and research mission of MUST beyond the project lifetime.
– Female candidates that satisfy the above conditions are particularly encouraged to apply.
MSc Applicant’s Profile
– Must hold a BSc degree in Agricultural or Environmental Sciences, with a first class or second class upper;
– Must be enrolled on the MSc Biology (Natural Resources) programme at MUST;
– MUST have experience in the use of geomatics (GIS) and quantitative analytical techniques is desirable;
– Must be hard-working and able to manage a large project, taking initiative and meeting deadlines;
– Must demonstrate good interpersonal and organizational skills, with attention to detail, to interact with other project partners and stakeholders, be able to work well with multidisciplinary teams in an international project;
– Must have extensive experience working as a research associate/assistant, managing large datasets;
– Must be willing to learn how to manage a citizen science network, including programming and uploading the data gathering tool into the Kobo toolbox, following up RHC scientists on a regular basis
– Experience in project management in general will be an added advantage;
– Must be sincere, and willing to respect agreements; must understand the relevance of project confidentiality and proper data handling and processing.
PhD Scholarship Offer
– Both PhD degrees will be awarded by the University of Antwerp (UA, Belgium).
– Both PhDs will be undertaken in 4 years following a sandwich mode; the researcher will spend part of the year in Belgium (at UA) and the rest of the year in Uganda with an affiliation at MUST;
– The thesis begins on November 1, 2024 and ends on September 30, 2028.
– The number of months in Belgium and Uganda per year will be clarified for each PhD student at the start of the scholarship;
– The scholarship covers travel and living expenses in Belgium, registration at the UA, field expenses and a modest stipend in Uganda, IT equipment costs, and other miscellaneous expenses up to a certain budget. The scholarship funding is compliant with the official scholarship schemes of VLIR-UOS;
– The doctoral candidate is placed on availability at MUST and devotes himself/herself full-time to his/her thesis when in Uganda. Freed from his/her professional obligations for the duration of the thesis, he/she can participate in the scientific activities of the institution (seminars, conferences, etc);
– The candidate will be subject to the regulations of the host university in Belgium which involves monitoring the progress of the work by a PhD committee (including its promoters). The full PhD funding is conditional to the successful defense of a PhD proposal and obtaining sufficient course credits during the first stay in Belgium;
– The PhD candidate will interact with other PhD students both from Uganda and Belgium; he/she will interact with the other researchers in the research groups that the promoters in Belgium belong to, and various collaborators from the South;
– The Natural Science PhD candidate will be supervised by Dr. Ronald Twongyirwe (MUST), Dr. Jan Cools (University of Antwerp), and Dr. Nelson Ndugu (Makerere University).
– The Social Science PhD candidate will be supervised by Professor Kristof Titeca (UA), Dr. Specioza Twinamasiko and Dr. Frank Ahimbisibwe (MUST).
MSc Scholarship Offer
– The MSc degree is tenable at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Biology Department, Faculty of Science)
– The scholarship is available for 2 years and covers stipend and research costs only
– The scholar will be facilitated to execute his/her additional duties as the project research associate (including local travel to/fro the settlements where the RHC network will be established)
– The MSc student will be supervised by Dr. Atwebembeire Jeninah (MUST) and Dr. Ronald Twongyirwe (MUST)
Application Procedure
The application should include:
- A concept note (max. 5-pages), is mandatory (For PhD applicants only). The Concept note must include a title for the proposed study, brief background highlighting key literature, research problem, main research questions, methodology and list of key references
- A CV (2 pages max) + list of publications (if applicable)
- Copies of academic degrees documents and transcript of records
- A statement of motivation (1 page)
- A letter of recommendation from the current employer/immediate supervisor (1 page)
- A letter from an academic referee supporting your application (1 page)
- A digital copy of your master thesis (and, if applicable, publications) (For PhD applicants only)
- The applications should be addressed (and submitted) to Dr. Ronald Twongyirwe ([email protected]), Professor Kristof Titeca ([email protected]), Dr. Jan Cools ([email protected]), and Dr. Specioza Twinamasiko ([email protected])
- The application should be compiled in one standalone PDF file
- All applications should be submitted by 15th of September, 2024, 17:00 East African Time.
Selection Procedure
- The selection process will involve two stages – a pre-selection phase within 10 days after the application deadline;
- Pre-selected candidates will be contacted for interviews in early October;
- The successful candidate should be ready to start his/her PhD studies by 1st November 2024.
- The MSc student is expected to start earlier, c. 1st October 2024.
____________________
Conférence « Comprendre l’économie politique du système de recrutement et des rémunérations dans l’administration publique congolaise »
Appel à communication pour notre conférence « Comprendre l’économie politique du système de recrutement et des rémunérations dans l’administration publique Congolaise », le 23 au 24 octobre 2024, à Kinshasa. C'est le conference de clôture de notre projet FWO sur ce thème; une collaboration entre l'Université Catholique du Congo et l'IOB/Université d'Anvers.
CONFÉRENCES DE CLÔTURE DU PROJET DE RECHERCHE: « COMPRENDRE L’ÉCONOMIE POLITIQUE DU SYSTÈME DE RECRUTEMENT ET DES RÉMUNÉRATIONS DANS L’ADMINISTRATION PUBLIQUE CONGOLAISE ».
Du 23 au 24 octobre 2024, À Kinshasa/Gombe
Appel à communications
Dans le cadre de la coopération entre l’Institut des Politiques de Développement (IOB) de l’Université d’Anvers (UA) et la Faculté de Sciences Politiques (FSP) de l’Université Catholique du Congo (UCC), l’administration publique congolaise a suscité une grande attention des chercheurs habitués à travailler sur l’État en République Démocratique du Congo.
Avec l’appui financier du Fonds de recherche de Flandre (FWO), les chercheurs de deux universités précitées avaient conçu en 2019 le projet axé sur la compréhension de l’économie politique du système de recrutement et des rémunérations dans l’administration publique congolaise. Ce projet s’est appuyé sur l’approche « gouvernance réelle », appliquée à la bureaucratie administrative afin de comprendre les politiques et les normes pratiques qui soustendent l’allocation et la (re)distribution de la masse salariale des fonctionnaires et les processus de recrutement de ces derniers après l’expérimentation de plusieurs réformes. Ce projet de recherche fondamentale s’est étalé sur 4 ans (de 2020 à 2024) et a abouti à deux recherches doctorales, associées à des recherches postdoctorales qui sont en cours de finalisation.
Dans une perspective multidisciplinaire, la clôture des activités menées au cours de la période susmentionnée justifie l’organisation de deux journées consacrées aux conférences sur l’administration publique congolaise. Ces conférences permettront non seulement de rendre compte des résultats de recherche auxquels le projet a abouti, mais aussi d’apprendre davantage sur les travaux d’autres chercheurs/chercheuses ou des fonctionnaires eux-mêmes.
Au regard de la qualité de ses travaux sur l’administration publique en Afrique, le professeur Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan est attendu à Kinshasa pour participer à cet évènement. Nous espérons recevoir également d’autres propositions traitant des thèmes liés à l’économie politique du système de recrutement et des rémunérations dans l’administration publique congolaise. Des exemples de tels travaux connexes pourraient inclure : le fonctionnement des appareils bureaucratiques et des services administratifs, les modalités d’accès à l’emploi public, les politiques publiques liées aux réformes de l’administration, la gestion du personnel, la délivrance des services publics, l’influence de facteurs contextuels sur le fonctionnement de l’administration (contexte économique, social et/ou politique), etc.
Pour réagir au présent appel à communication, veuillez nous envoyer votre résumé de 400 à 600 mots. Ce résumé doit donner une brève description du sujet, des arguments soutenus, de la méthodologie, ainsi que des conclusions de votre recherche.
Deadlines :
Le 19 septembre 2024 : clôture de la réception des propositions (résumé).
Du 23 au 26 septembre 2024 : confirmation des propositions acceptées.
Le 15 octobre 2024 : réception des propositions finales de 2.500 à 3.000 mots.
Toutes les propositions sont à envoyer aux deux adresses suivantes :
Prof Tom de Herdt
[email protected]
Prof Albert Malukisa Nkuku
[email protected]
Pour toute information additionnelle concernant la proposition, veuillez contacter
Dr. Stylianos Moshonas
Tél. : +447506443300
E-mail : [email protected]
New on Nasser Road: book and exhibition
The Kunsthal in Rotterdam currently has an exhibition on show, based on my book, entitled ‘Robocop in Uganda. Political Posters as Resistance’. It opened on the 20th of April, and is on show until the 1st of September. It features the posters, as well as images of Badru Katumba, Zahara Abdul and myself; and a video interview with Yusuf Serunkuma. The exhibition received a 4-star review in NRC. An interview with NPO on the exhibition can be listened here.
A second edition of the Nasser Road book was printed in Nasser Road itself. It is available in Uganda (at the Uganda Museum and with Mahiri books), and worldwide.
A book presentation in Kampala took place in October 2023, in collaboration with Fotea and the Uganda Press Photo Awards (UPPA).
Awards:
- Nominated for the 2023 Aperture Paris Photo First Book Award
- Shortlisted for the 2023 ‘author book award’ of the Arles Rencontres de la Photography.
- Price best Dutch Book Design 2023.
- Shortlisted for ‘Best book design from all over the world‘ from Stifting Buchkunst (Germany)
- Shortlisted for photobook of the year, category ‘research’, for PhotoEspana.
- Shortlisted for the African Photobook of the Year Awards 2024.
Press:
- British Journal of Photography
- Le Monde Diplomatique
- Trigger
- Africa As a Country
- Review of African Political Economy
- MO Magazine
- Afrique XXI
- Belgian Platform for Photobooks
- Protest in the Photobook
- GEO Magazine
- NRC
- De Standaard
- De Groene Amsterdammer
- Breedbeeld
- Metropolis M (June 2024 print issue)
- Radio-interviews: Pompidou/Klara; NPO De NieuwsBV
Reviews:
“The material choices add a clever touch to an already fantastic book. The cardstock used throughout the book structures and presents the content perfectly, creating a uniquely supportive platform for Titeca’s research.” (Alex Lin)
“Nasser Road is exciting in both its content and presentation. The photobook is a deep dive into the layers that underlie a complex social phenomenon, its archive of bright posters providing an entry point into a range of cultural issues. It’s also an engaging example of extending the definitional boundaries of the photobook to include printed photographic ephemera, where photography and collage come together in imagery made and circulated for a specific kind of communication.” (Olga Yatskevich)
“For a majority of Ugandans on the street, he continues, these posters, which resonate with the aesthetic deployed by Wakalywood, the local film industry, are above all anti-imperialist symbols that crystallise local frustrations in the name of ‘rejection or resistance to global power structures and hegemonic systems such as colonialism, imperialism and capitalism’.” (Jean-Christophe Servant)
LE MONDE DIPLOMATIQUE (IN FRENCH)
“The flashy calendars, bundled in the book Nasser Road / Political Posters in Uganda, are colourful, graphic and wryly humourous. Here, the very figures that so many see as villains are anti-heroes against Western imperialism. The calendars are not an endorsement of violent actions, says compiler Kristof Titeca, but an outlet for frustrations about unfair power relations in the world.” (Rosa Luna van Crevel)
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (IN DUTCH)
“I find this book a treasure trove of awe-inspiring images and a confrontation with the limits of my own political and aesthetic imagination. While reading, I am constantly challenged to reconsider my assumptions about propaganda and the power of images.”
