TEA, Ayrton and delivering an academic agenda within it

On the 7th and 8th of September around 150 researchers, energy access experts, government officials, funders and students came  together in the UK for the Ayrton-Oxford Academic Symposium. This event, convened by the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund, the Africa-Oxford Initiative (AfOx), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and our very own Transforming Energy Access – Learning Partnership (TEA-LP) explored how research partnerships can support energy access, development and climate resilience, whilst delivering on Sustainable Development Goal 7.

The TEA-LP shone at this event. Leslie and Mascha, through their tenacity and organisational skills, made sure we were present not just in numbers. From moderating panels, to organising partner travel, their input and expertise was essential to make the symposium a success.

We had presentations from Prof. Emeka Oguzie from FUTO, Anne Wacera from Strathmore University, Prof. Cosmas Anyanwu from University of Nigeria, Nsukka, but also from the University of Cape Town team, sharing lessons learnt from the TEA-LP and our thoughts on functionally equitable partnerships. What I really loved about our presence at the Symposium was that we are a strong partnership, both in the expertise we bring to the table, but also the humanity in the relationships we have grown over the years, and that I hope will last a lifetime.

There was ample of time for serious discussion, in particular around what makes an equitable partnership. The keynote speech, delivered by Prof. Youba Sokona, set the tone for discussing partnerships. In his speech he took us from Southern organisations as often being ‘along for the ride’ – the ones that need capacity, not the ones providing it -, to shared authority and sovereignty as a model. In the days that followed, we heard from many partnerships, under TEA, Ayrton and those in the wider energy access and technology innovation sectors. What came through very strongly was that partnerships are the only way in which we can deliver SDG7, but also that partnerships are never easy.

Partnerships require a balance of sharing authority, delivery responsibility and accountability, and getting this balance right, whilst addressing historic imbalances in the way in which power has been distributed, is hard. What really stuck with me is that we also need mutual respect and understanding of the operating environment and parameters within which each of us operate. In the academic sphere that includes, among other things, the need to do independent, high-quality research, whilst informing a fast-moving sector on the ground. Similarly, growing understanding, and trying to overcome the constraints under which funders, the private sector, NGOs and academics operate will be essential for delivering SDG 7.

What I left with was an immense sense of pride for what our partners have delivered under TEA 1 and 2, a deep gratitude for our funder to allow the TEA-LP to play the long game of capacity mobilisation (rather than a short(er) win of numbers) and an excitement to realign the TEA-LP with the ongoing needs of the energy access sector together with current and future partners under Ayrton 2.

– Written by Jiska de Groot