9:00am - 5:00pm [CET]
The purpose of the HIV Vaccine Advocacy Academy is to support career development of advocates and peer educators (“fellows”) on the African continent in HIV vaccine R&D.
The academy will serve as a space where participants can interact with leading researchers and advocates in the HIV vaccine R&D field. Participants will build their literacy in HIV vaccine research and improve their advocacy and engagement skills to advance the field. Specific objectives of the academy include:
- Expand the network of African advocates working in the HIV vaccine and related research space.
- Increase participants’ capacity and HIV vaccine research literacy to understand and disseminate information on current HIV vaccine research strategies and the barriers to successful prevention within their communities.
- Galvanize support for HIV vaccine R&D from participants’ communities, policy makers, the media and other relevant stakeholders.
Approach and format
The proposed HIV Vaccine Advocacy Academy will build on the model of the IAS Advocacy-for-Cure Academy and the experience of the IAS from five editions implemented to date.2 The first HIV Vaccine Advocacy Academy will welcome 15 fellows. It will be held in person over three days.
The comprehensive programme will be led by renowned scientists, including vaccine researchers, social scientists, ethicists and advocates. It will use a participative approach to deliver interactive classroom sessions on key topics related to HIV vaccine research and advocacy.
Morning sessions will be devoted to science plenaries led by leading researchers. Afternoons will be dedicated to interactive group discussions focused on specific advocacy and/or engagement strategies. Participants will be able to informally interact with researchers and advocates during lunch and afternoon sessions.
All participants will be asked to develop a concept for a project over the course of the meeting. This could be the development of literacy training tools or an advocacy project for the upcoming year.
Invite only – if you are interested in this event, you can contact enterprise@iasociety.org