ASFI Career Navigator 2026
A Structured Career Development Program for Academics and Purpose-Driven Professionals
Malak Foundation is proud to share that our partner, African Science Frontiers Initiatives (ASFI), has launched a new flagship career development program for 2026:
Prof. Nwaru’s Career Navigator
This year, ASFI is taking a bold and innovative approach to professional development — moving beyond standalone workshops into a structured, research-led publication series hosted in the ASFI Research Journal.
A New Model for Career Development
For the past four years, Prof. Bright Nwaru has delivered annual career workshops that have supported researchers, academics and professionals across Africa and the diaspora.
In 2026, ASFI has redesigned the model.
Rather than a single event, Career Navigator unfolds as a unified series of peer-reviewed papers under a central theme. Each topic includes:
4–8 structured articles published weekly
Open access for participants to read and reflect
A capstone workshop at the end of the series to discuss and apply insights
This format strengthens intellectual depth, encourages sustained engagement, and elevates career development into a scholarly discourse space.
The First Theme: The Art of Career Time and Timing
The inaugural 2026 theme, launched on 5 January, explores the concept of Kairos — the critical moment — and its relevance to modern careers.
The series examines:
How to recognise the right career moment
When to act decisively
The benefits of strategic timing
The risks of hesitation or missed opportunity
Four articles have already been published and have received highly positive reviews from academic and professional audiences.
Published Articles
Article 1:
The Art of Timing: A Greek Gift for Modern Careers
https://asfirj.org/content/?sid=d7708f29d1d699185fb0
Article 2:
Recognizing Kairos: How to Discern the Right Career Moment
https://asfirj.org/content/?sid=34bf9dececa0be855b19
Article 3:
Seizing Kairos: The Courage to Act on Career-Defining Moments
https://asfirj.org/content/?sid=9d516c621f630e2597a8
Article 4:
The Rewards of Kairos: Living the Benefits of Recognising and Seizing Career-Defining Moments
https://asfirj.org/content/?sid=118ab5218dc48a5d569b
The fifth article — The Costs of Missing, Delaying, or Ignoring Kairos — will be published shortly, continuing the intellectual progression of the theme.
Why This Matters
In a rapidly shifting global environment — marked by migration, research funding pressures, cross-border collaboration, and career volatility — timing is often the difference between stagnation and advancement.
ASFI’s Career Navigator provides:
A structured analytical framework for career strategy
A research-grounded mentorship platform
An opportunity for reflective and collective discussion
A strengthening of African academic thought leadership
It is particularly relevant for:
Early- and mid-career researchers
African and diaspora academics
Professionals navigating career transitions
Purpose-driven leaders seeking alignment between opportunity and impact
Malak Foundation’s Support
As a partner organisation committed to strengthening African research ecosystems and diaspora leadership, Malak Foundation strongly supports this initiative.
Career literacy is foundational to building resilient institutions, research capacity, and entrepreneurial leadership across Africa and the diaspora.
We encourage our networks in Australia and internationally to:
Read the articles
Share them widely
Participate in the workshop discussions
Engage critically with the ideas presented
Join the Conversation
This is more than a publication series — it is a structured, research-led career development program designed to elevate strategic thinking and professional confidence.
We commend ASFI and Prof. Nwaru for this forward-thinking model and look forward to continued collaboration in strengthening African scholarship and leadership globally.
