Fika Diaries and Collaborative Futures: An Accra–Uppsala Travelogue

Photo credits: Core-AI/Titilope Ajayi/Kweyakie Blebo, 2025.

What happens when you bring together curious minds, warm hosts, and a shared commitment to reimagining knowledge futures? Add in tacos, lattes, Swedish cakes, and more fika than anyone thought humanly possible—and you get a week like no other!

@PhDinAfrica, represented by founder/co-director Dr Titilope Ajayi, travelled from Accra to Uppsala in early June 2025 as part of a visiting group hosted by Uppsala University's Department for IT and Forum for Africa Studies. What unfolded was a fun, joyful, thought-provoking, and energising journey shaped as much by formal sessions as by the generous spirit of conversation, curiosity, and connection.

Conversations that Sparked Ideas

Our panel closed out the first day of #AfricaDays, the university’s annual celebration of research and partnership related to the continent. @PhDinAfrica shared our experiences designing and supporting interventions that help doctoral candidates thrive across the continent—from pre-doctoral preparation and mentoring, to funding, capacity strengthening, career building in and outside academia, and community support. Kweyakie Blebo and Otema Yirenkyi, the dynamic co-founders of Because She Can also shared moving stories of their crucial work getting more African women and girls into tech—not just equipping them to use digital tools, but supporting them to build careers, grow confidence, and take on leadership in this vital space.

Prof. David Sumpter and Kajsa Hallberg Adu's presentation of their Kujenga course for African women (watch their catchy teaser) offered a handy foundation for reflections that continued throughout the week, especially on the intersections between #AI, technology, and doctoral research. The course itself is a living example of these linkages—showing how digital tools and research futures are already colliding in productive and sometimes surprising ways. And as we found ourselves saying often—preferably over coffee and something sweet—the best ideas are sparked in dialogue.

We all spoke frankly about the less glossy parts of the work we all do: the politics of where learners study and how it shapes their trajectories, the hurdles between access and real leadership, the intrigues of being female in these spaces, the challenges of resourcing, and how community remains one of the most powerful levers for success. The session—like so much of the week—was a space of rich exchange, insight, and humour. It captured the best of what happens when knowledge is shared with generousity and purpose. We couldn’t have asked for a better, more engaged audience . One very welcome presence was a bright red catch box microphone. As it travelled the room, it added an element of playfulness to the rich and often layered conversations that unfolded during the sessions.

Across the two-day event, we listened to #PhD students present their #Africa-focused research on issues as varied as climate resilience, migration, technology, health, politics, and gender. We learned about the university’s Africa dynamics—its research priorities, collaborations, and student representation—and met members of the African Students Association Uppsala, who generously shared their experiences of living and studying in Sweden.

Beyond the Lecterns

The rest of the week took us beyond classrooms and lecture halls. We explored partnership opportunities with our hosts, learning more about the Core-AI Programme and identifying ways to collaborate across our respective networks and institutions. Staff, student, and knowledge mobilities—between north and south, among institutions, and across disciplines—were high on the agenda. We spoke openly about what meaningful, equitable collaboration can look like, and where we can start.

Much of this thinking happened in motion: between meals, during fika breaks, and on winding walks through Uppsala’s historic streets. The city’s beauty provided a striking backdrop to our reflections and dreams, reminding us that cultural exchange isn’t just an add-on—it’s essential. The rhythm of the week allowed us to be thoughtful, but also to laugh, wander, and connect as humans first.

A Detour to the Future

Our final event was a quick trip to Stockholm for an inspiring visit to Norrsken House, a co-working and innovation space dedicated to startups and organisations solving some the world’s biggest problems. We also spent time at Twelve (super cool workspace!) where David and his team showed us the amazing things they're doing with AI. (Sidenote: You'll never meet a cooler professor of mathematics!) The energy was electric! Being in spaces so deliberately built to nurture bold ideas and foster creative solutions fired up our own thinking—about the future of work, the spaces that shape it, and the importance of nurturing and supporting innovation that meets real, pressing needs. It cemented many of the conversations we’d been having all week: collaboration is important, but so is creating the right conditions for ideas to thrive.

Footnotes and Futures

And yes, no international academic exchange would be complete without a mention of visa drama! Suffice it to say that some of us were reminded (again!) that the journey to collaborative futures is still paved with some outdated hurdles. But we made it. And the warm welcome on the other side made every obstacle worth it.

What we experienced in Uppsala—and Stockholm—wasn’t just a study visit. It was a chance to listen, learn, dream—and begin to build. These are first steps, but they are grounded in shared values and real possibilities. We're looking forward to what's next.

With full hearts, minds alight, and just maybe one fika too many, we say: tack så mycket, Sweden!