African Centre for Epistemology and Philosophy of Science
We are in the business of decolonising knowledge through African voices in Philosophy, strengthening knowledge systems in both North and South.
- African Philosophy & Indigenous Knowledge Systems
- Decolonising Knowledge & Epistemic Injustice & Oppression
- Philosophy of Science: Medicine & Public Health
- Philosophy of Education & Social Science
- Philosophy of Biology & Philosophy of Race
The African Centre for Epistemology and Philosophy of Science is an independent entity with close links to the Department of Philosophy ranked no. 2 in Africa.
Why not join the ACEPS team doing a MA, PhD or PDRF in Philosophy in a fun and safe space? ACEPS – Philosophy EpiCentre of SA. Contact ACEPS director Prof Veli Mitova.
Events 2024
Jump to next event (approximately)
- Previous Years Events & Visitors
- Jan 2024: ACEPS Postgrads Term 1 research and reading group schedule @ ACEPS-UJ
- 15 Jan 2024: Epistemic Oppression Workshop with Prof Gaile Pohlhaus (Miami U) @ ACEPS-UJ
- 25 Jan 2024: UJ ACEPS Colloquium Speaker series: On Danger talk by Prof Davide Fassio (Zhejiang University) @ ACEPS-UJ
- 26 Jan 2024: Epistemic Virtues Workshop with Prof Sarah Wright (U of Georgia) @ ACEPS-UJ
- 6 Feb 2024: ACEPS NIHSS funded Philosophy through Indigenous Knowledge Speaker Series: Applying appropriate research methodologies within the academy. Insights from African Indigenous Knowledge Systems discipline by IKS expert and culture and heritage lecturer Dr Monicca Bhuda (U of Mpumalanga) – Talk & Slides – @ ACEPS-UJ
- Apr 2024: ACEPS Postgrads Term 2 research and reading group schedule @ ACEPS-UJ
- 5 Apr 2024: ACEPS PGs and PDRFs WIP Workshop @ ACEPS-UJ
- 9-10 Apr 2024: Taking Indigenous Knowledges Seriously Workshop part of Philosophy through Indigenous Knowledge in the Global South Project funded by National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) – YouTube video @ ACEPS-UJ
- 24-25 Apr 2024: Mitova, V. (Keynote) “Decolonising Philosophy: Lessons from South Africa” as part of “Andean and Amazonic Epistemologies. Indigenous Concepts of Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding” book launch colloquium, ACEPS collaboration with @ Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
- 16-18 May 2024: Epistemic Reparations for Carceral Injustice workshop as part of Epistemic Reparations Project funded by Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @ Evanston — collaboration with Northwestern U
- 29-31 May 2024: Epistemic Oppression and Decolonization Conference co-organised by the Canada Research Chair on Epistemic Injustice and Agency and ACEPS @ U of Quebec-Montreal
- 14 Jun 2024: ACEPS PGs and PDRFs WIP Workshop @ ACEPS-UJ
- 18 Jun 2024: 11am A Structural Linguistic Injustice Workshop with Dr. Seunghyun Song (Tilburg University): @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ & Zoom link
- 20-22 Jun 2024: Epistemic Reparations and the Right to be Known in Post-Apartheid South Africa-academic talks, part of Epistemic Reparations Project funded by Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @ ACEPS-UJ
- Jul 2024: ACEPS Postgrads Term 3 research and reading group schedule @ ACEPS-UJ
- 16 Jul 2024: ACEPS NIHSS funded Philosophy through Indigenous Knowledge Speaker Series: “Black self-perception: A Fanonian and a Du Boisian challenge to anti-inequality strategies” by Tancredo Tivane Philosophy PhD Candidate (The University of Arkansas Fayetteville) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ Zoom link
- 13-14 Aug 2024: Taking Indigenous Knowledges Seriously Workshop part of Philosophy through Indigenous Knowledge in the Global South Project funded by National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ Zoom link
- Aug-Nov 2024: UJ ACEPS Reflection Series: Health in African Philosophy Talks (NIHSS) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ
- 20 Aug 2024: (Talk) “Reasserting African Agency in Medical Machine Learning Technology for Treatment Recommendations: African Indigenous Knowledge to the Rescue” with UJ Philosophy PhD candidate Edmund Terem Ugar as part of UJ ACEPS Reflection Series: Health in African Philosophy (NIHSS) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ Zoom link
- 27 Aug 2024: (Talk) “Exploring AI in Economic Policy & Energy: From Theory to Practice” Inaugural lecture by Dr Roland Banya, Research ICT Africa, as part of ACEPS Data, Discourse & Democracy Workshop Series, funded by GES @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ Zoom link
- 30 Aug 2024: ACEPS PGs and PDRFs WIP Workshop @ ACEPS-UJ
- 11 Sep 2024: Exploring and Realizing the Right to be Known part of Epistemic Reparations Project funded by Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @ Winnipeg — U of Brandon
- 12 Sep 2024: Epistemic Harms, Agency, and The Right to Be Known colloquium part of Epistemic Reparations Project funded by Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs @ Winnipeg — U of Brandon
- 12-13 Sep 2024: (Talks) “Reversing the Gaze: Using Concepts Across Borders” part of the Uni Basel SNSF funded project collaboration visit with ACEPS members Dr Dimpho Maponya and doctoral candidates Harry Kapatika and Nomaswazi Kubeka @ Uni Basel.
- 17 Sep 2024: (Talk) “The Southern African-centred Account of Mental Disorders” with UJ Philosophy PhD candidate Nhlakanipho Hlengwa as part of UJ ACEPS Reflection Series: Health in African Philosophy (NIHSS) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ Zoom link 11am
- 25 Sep 2024: Workshop Series Data, Democracy and Discourse Seminars: “Democratizing AI: Addressing the Political Power Imbalance in AI” by Prof Annette Zimmermann (University of Wisconsin-Madison) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ Zoom link 16:00 SAST
- 30 Sep 2024: Data, Democracy and Discourse Seminars: “Affect Manipulation and Arms-Length Autonomy” by Prof Regina Rini (York University) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ Zoom link 15:00 SAST
- Oct 2024: ACEPS Postgrads Term 4 research activities @ ACEPS-UJ
- 1 Oct 2024: (Talk) “The Silent Health Disaster of Un-translated PhytomedIcines: Bioethical Consideration” with Dr. Afolabi Michael of LBR Impact Innovation as part of UJ ACEPS Reflection Series: Health in African Philosophy (NIHSS) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ Zoom link 11am SAST
- 8 Oct 2024: Workshop Series Data, Democracy and Discourse Seminars: “Attention, Algorithms, and Political Agency” with Prof Karen Frost-Arnold (Hobart and William Smith Colleges) and ACEPS 4IR Distinguished Visiting Professor @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ Zoom link 11am SAST
- 10 Oct 2024: Philosophy/ACEPS Colloquium: “A New Pessimistic Induction over the History of Science” with Prof Greg Frost-Arnold (Hobart and William Smith Colleges) @ UJ Phil Dept 14:30am SAST
- 15 Oct 2024: Workshop Series Data, Democracy and Discourse Seminars: “Instruments or Agents? Disambiguating The Status of Autonomous Weapons” with Dr Karabo Maiyane (Nelson Mandela University) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ Zoom link 11am SAST
- 22 Oct 2024: (Talk) “Towards an Afrocentric Approach to Population Mental Health: Reducing Health Inequities and Achieving Public Health Goals in South Africa” with UJ Philosophy PhD candidate Ntsumi Malele as part of UJ ACEPS Reflection Series: Health in African Philosophy (NIHSS) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ 11am SAST
- 29 Oct 2024: (Talk) “Cultural Practices and Women’s Health in Africa” by Prof. Peter Omonzejele of University of Benin & Hanse-Wissenscagtkolleg – Institute for Advanced Study as part of UJ ACEPS Reflection Series: Health in African Philosophy (NIHSS) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ 11am SAST
- 5 Nov 2024: Workshop Series Data, Democracy and Discourse Seminars: “Is content moderation anti-democratic? A first look” with Corrado Fumagalli (The University of Genova) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ 11am SAST
- 12 Nov 2024: (Talk) “Am I My Parents’ Keeper? The Young in African Ethics of Geriatric Care” by ACEPS UJ PostDoc Paul Michael as part of UJ ACEPS Reflection Series: Health in African Philosophy (NIHSS) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ 11am SAST
- 26 Nov 2024: AI&IKS One Day Workshop @ hybrid ACEPS UJ on Empire Zoom link 9:00-17:35 SAST
- 27 Nov 2024: Workshop Series Data, Democracy and Discourse Seminars: The social dimensions of scientific knowledge: Consensus, Controversy, and Coproduction – book launch with author Boaz Miller (Zefat Academic College) @ ACEPS-UJ Zoom link 11am SAST
- 28 Nov 2024: Workshop Series Data, Democracy and Discourse Seminars: Talks: Knowing When to Stop Looking on the Internet by Boaz Miller (Zefat Academic College) and Understanding humanoid robots as a socially disruptive by PhD candidate Cindy Friedman (Utrecht University) @ ACEPS-UJ Zoom link 9am SAST
- 3 Feb 2025: Workshop Series Safeguarding Justice and Democracy in the Age of AI: “An African-Inspired Approach to AI Moral Standing” with Prof Nancy Jecker (University of Washington School of Medicine) @ hybrid ACEPS-UJ 4pm SAST
Celebrations 2024
- Jan 2024: Tobi, A. (PostDoc Fellowship) ACEPS PhD graduate awarded a 2 year postdoctoral fellowship for his project “Marginal Epistemic Injustice” at Canada Research Chair on Epistemic Injustice and Agency (C1RC-IAE) and the Centre for Research in Ethics (CRE) @ Uni Quebec-Montreal.
- 2 Jan 2024: ACEPS welcomes 4 new Postdoctoral Research Fellows – Drs: Paige Benton, Garikai Madavo, Paul Michael, Uchenna Ogbonnaya
- 5 Feb 2024: Congrats to Dr Paige Benton, ACEPS PDRF, recipient of the 2024 GES 4.0 Fellowship!
- 3 Apr 2024: UJ Graduation for ACEPS 3 newest PhDs (l-r): Dr Abraham Tejiri Tobi, their supervisor Prof Veli Mitova, Dr Dimpho Takane Maponya and Dr Akanimo Andrew Akpan
- 5 May 2024: Congrats to ACEPS postdoc Dr Paige Benton, awarded R150,000 as part of GES Workshop Series Seminars: “The Political Epistemology of 4IR Data, Democracy and Discourse: Unpacking 4IR’s Political and Epistemic Impact”
- 22 Oct 2024: Rybko, C. ACEPS PhD graduate appointed a permanent lecturer at Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics @ Uni Witwatersrand.
Visitors 2024 and 2025
- Jan 2024: Prof Gaile Pohlhaus (Miami U) on a 1 week research collaboration visit.
- Jan 2024: Prof Sarah Wright (U of Georgia) on a 2 week research collaboration visit.
- Jan 2024: Prof Amandine Catala ( U of Quebec at Montreal) on a 1 week research collaboration visit.
- Jan 2024: Prof Davide Fassio (Zhejiang U) on a 1 week research collaboration visit.
- Apr 2024: Prof Cameron Boult (Brandon U) is Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Brandon. He is a Visiting Researcher collaborating with ACEPS and a return visitor to ACEPS.
- Jul 2024: Tancredo Tivane PhD Candidate from the Department of Philosophy at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville on a 1 week research visit.
- Oct 2024: Prof Karen Frost-Arnold from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, is a 4IR funded Visiting Professor and a return visitor to ACEPS. Prof Greg Frost-Arnold is a Professor of Philosophy @ Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Both visitors are on 1 week research collaboration visits.
- Oct 2024: Prof Fiona Jenkins Professor of Philosophy and Director of the ANU Gender Institute @ Australian National University will be on a 2 week research collaboration visit.
- Nov 2024: Dr Boaz Miller is a senior Lecturer @ Zefat Academic College (Israel) will be on a 1 week research collaboration visit.
- Jan 2025: Prof Sarah Wright (U of Georgia) is a return Visiting Research Fellow on a 1 week research collaboration visit.
- Jan 2025: Prof Amandine Catala ( U of Quebec at Montreal) is a return Visiting Research Fellow on a 1 week research collaboration visit.
- Mar 2025: Frédéric Dabire Mwin-Mâalou PhD Candidate from the Department of Philosophy at Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University on a 1 month research visit.
- Apr 2025: Dr Sebastian Schmidt (Uni Zurich) is a return Visiting Research Fellow from the Zürich Epistemology Group on Rationality (Zegra).
- Apr 2025: Prof Martin Kusch, Institute Vienna Circle and Department of Philosophy @ Uni Vienna will will be on a 1 week research collaboration visit.
We regularly host visiting and externally funded Postdoctoral researchers. Doctoral students should see if their University is linked to Erasmus+ Exchange and Mobility for funding. Check out your International Office, you might be surprised at what is on offer! Please contact ACEPS director Prof Veli Mitova , if you are interested in visiting, giving a talk, sharing research or collaborating on a project. Check out the ACEPS Team & PostGrads and Previous Years Events & Visitors pages for the previous activities, research groups, reading groups, writing retreats and direction of ACEPS research.
Annual Reports
ACEPS Annual Report 2023
ACEPS Annual Report 2022
ACEPS Annual Report 2021
ACEPS address: UJ on Empire, 3rd floor, cnr Barry Hertzog and Napier road, Milpark, Johannesburg.
Entrance from Napier road, it is the big blue glass building. Map link.