
Local researcher and development practitioner Abel Mavura was on Tuesday awarded the 2025 Margaret Mead Memorial Award for excellence in pre-doctoral scholarship.
The award for the best student paper was awarded by the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) at its annual meeting at the University of Birmingham Leadership Institute.
Selected by leading systems science scholars, Mavura’s paper titled “Resilience Among Young Male Migrants in Paris’ Informal Housing” was recognised for its “originality, analytical clarity and commitment, collectivist as well as culturally pluralistic approaches”.
Mavura becomes the 13th recipient of the Margaret Mead Memorial Award, which honors doctoral researchers who embody Mead’s legacy in anthropology and systems thinking.
Established in 2013, the award celebrates scholarship that advances relational intelligence and empowers communities through systemic understanding.
Mavura's research explores how young male migrants living in informal housing in Paris build resilience amid systemic exclusion.
The study highlights grassroots adaptation, solidarity, and migrant-led advocacy as vital mechanisms of urban resilience, advocating for more inclusive policies that center marginalised voices.
“This recognition underscores the value of inclusion and diversity in systems research,” said Mavura.
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“My work aims to amplify the voices of those often left out of development and policy discussions.
“I’m honoured to contribute to a dialogue that challenges exclusion and champions equity.”
A doctoral researcher specializing in global development - migration and international affairs, Mavura presented a paper findings during the ISSS international meeting at the University of Birmingham, UK.
His interdisciplinary work integrates systems thinking, participatory methods, and urban studies resonating with Margaret Mead’s commitment to cultural pluralism and collective well-being.
The ISSS promotes interdisciplinary research and systemic solutions to complex global challenges.
The Margaret Mead Memorial Award is one of three annual student honors recognising excellence in pre-doctoral scholarship.
The Leadership Institute at the University of Birmingham hosts academic events and research exchanges that foster innovation, leadership, and social impact in higher education and beyond.
Mavura is also the Clutton Brock Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust research awardee for 2025, it’s one of the best grants to conduct research at the University of Cambridge.
He is awarded US$78 000 yearly