ENHANCING RESPONSIBILITIES OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Introduction

The Association of Puntland Universities Research Conference is an event organized once a year with a specific theme that guides all the results of the conference, and every year has one theme. This event will bring together scholars, researchers, academicians, university students, policymakers, entrepreneurs, development partners, and business enterprises to create a knowledge and information exchange platform. It allows the researchers and debtors to share their ideas and/or disseminate research findings to participants in person and virtual. The conference will initiate debate forums on emerging issues related to the conference theme to intensely discuss challenges and provide practical solutions to arising matters. It also enhances capacity and initiatives that foster social service, economy, and technology.

About APU

The Association of Puntland Universities (APU) is a network that aims to bring together all the higher education and research institutions in Puntland to improve the quality of education, research, and responsibilities. The association dates to 2017, but it was not fully functional. To this end, the following universities: the University of Health Sciences (UoHS), University of Bosaso (UoB), East Africa University (EAU), Garowe Teachers Education College (GTEC), Puntland State University (PSU), Global Science University (GSU), Puntland University of Science and Technology (PUST), and Red Sea University (RSU) re-established and made it a fully functional entity that serves as a cooperative body and consultative network designed to enhance connections among institutions, fostering high standards of academic achievement and research.

Purpose

The purpose of the conference is to organize a research conference on enhancing responsibilities of social service, bring together scholars, researchers, experts, senior government officials, business organizations, and international organizations to disseminate research papers and facilitate debates to address challenges hampering social services to create equality and inclusiveness in social service.

Objectives

The key objectives of the Conference are to:

1. Establish a research conference to discuss emerging issues on social service and unify social service sectors to work together to bring lasting change and success. 
2. Hold a forum for disseminating research papers/findings, facilitating debates on challenges and solutions to social service in Puntland, and engaging the community, private sectors, and international community to accelerate social service, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas. 
3. Bring together researchers, scholars, and experts from various academic disciplines and universities to exchange ideas and experiences. This also includes creating networking opportunities for the researchers to establish connections beyond institutional boundaries. 
4. Record and recognize the work of the local universities toward social responsibilities and strengthen collaboration and networking among APU members and others through organizing research conferences, initiating innovations, and building research capacity.
5. Facilitate policy briefing and capacity-building sessions to enhance decision-making and utilize up-to-date information that assists in making evidence-based and inclusive decision-making on matters about social service and addressing community needs.

Target Audience

The conference targets about two hundred delegates. The target audience includes scholars, researchers, senior government officers, members of Parliament, local councils, business enterprises, research institutes, universities, community actors, donors, civil society, the media, development partners, and others.

Call for Abstracts 

The APU will advertise a call for papers and invite academicians, scholars, researchers, civil society, and business enterprises to look at various aspects of the responsibilities of social service to submit their abstracts to the APU Research Conference. The Research Committee (RC) in collaboration with the Conference Streeting Committee (CSC) will review the received abstracts and the Research Committee will make a final decision on 

their acceptance. All accepted abstracts turned into research papers to present and disseminate at the research conference on the responsibilities of social services scheduled for 20^th April 2025.

Abstract submission deadline: February 30, 2025

Submission Guidelines:

• The abstract should range from 250 to 400 words and must have (i) a title, name(s) of the author(s), author(s) affiliation, and a maximum of four (4) keywords.
• E-mail address and Whats App numbers for authors and corresponding authors.
• The structure of the abstract should be an introduction, main objective, methods, key findings, conclusion, and key recommendations.
• No previously presented abstract in another conference would be acceptable.
• The abstract should be in English, Arabic, or Somali.

Conference Steering Committee (CSC)

The Conference Steering Committee comprises nine members selected from the APU secretariat, member universities, funders, and civil society. The CSC is responsible for executing, directing, and learning the conference to realize its aims and objectives. The CSC has sub-committees such as the event management committee and research committee. The APU/CSC will prepare the ToR for every committee to make clear the roles and responsibilities of every committee.

Event Management Committee

The APU/CSC will hire this third-party organization for the registration process, media, communications, venue, printing, stationery, hospitality, conference proceedings, accommodations, food, and transportation. This committee operates in line with the CSC and the parameters of its contract. The APU provides financial, technical, and expert persons so that this committee executes its duties. 

Research Committee

The main responsibility of the research committee is to receive, review, and accept abstracts and research papers with the consultation of the CSC. It ensures that all papers meet standards and are relevant to the conference theme. The committee consists of seven (7) members, and the APU will nominate members of this committee, which it may select from inside or outside the universities. The committee also recommends areas of training and debates. 

Conference Activities

The conference activities include presentation of the abstract, policy briefing presentations, panel debates, keynote speakers, and training. The conference will provide a live stream to accommodate people outside of the conference venue and concurrent sessions to offer options to the participants to join interested sessions.

Conference Sponsors

To be successful this conference needs support and sponsorships. Of the total cost of the conference the APU, as an event organizer, will cover 15%. Therefore, the APU must strive to secure potential sponsorships to execute this research conference. Also, the APU needs to mobilize resources and participants for the conference. The conference sponsors have the following levels:

1. Diamond Level: $20,000 (Member of Conference Steering Committee, 100% visibility for all conference documents and reports, three spot sessions, exhibit tables, several stand panels, distribution of marketing materials, and others)
2. Gold Level: $10,000 (70% visibility for all conference documents and reports, one spot sessions, exhibit tables, distribution of marketing materials, and posting six stand panels)
3. Silver Level: $5,000 (50% of Visibility for all conference documents and reports exhibit tables, distribution brochure, and posting three stand panels).
4. Bronze Level: $1000(30% of Visibility for all conference documents and reports, distribution brochure and posting only one stand panel).