Research-based insights and collaboration on finding solutions to Africa’s most urgent challenges will be at the heart of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)’s 19th Africa Young Graduates and Scholars (AYGS) Conference.
The conference which gets underway tomorrow, is being held in collaboration with the University of Mpumalanga (UMP).
Under the theme “Enabling Africa’s Inclusive and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Opportunities,” the conference will gather over 100 young and emerging scholars, policymakers, and practitioners from various regions of Africa to share research-based insights and collaborate on solutions to the continent’s most urgent challenges.
The gathering will take place at UMP’s Mbombela campus from 4 to 6 March 2025.
“We are excited to provide a platform for Africa’s next generation of leaders to engage, share knowledge, and shape the continent’s future,” said the Executive Head at the HSRC’s Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA), Dr Sabelo Gumedze.
He believes that the AYGS Conference has the potential to contribute significantly to Africa’s developmental trajectory, and said they were looking forward to fostering innovative solutions, enhancing capacity, and informing policy decisions with research-based insights.
Meanwhile, the UMP Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Professor Aldo Stroebel, said the university was privileged to partner with the HSRC and other prominent stakeholders to engage and strengthen an opportunity framework for emerging scholars through critical thinking and policy impact.
“UMP benefits from this convening to further advance our focus on sustainability and innovation, building a strong base of intellectual engagement, international networks, and learning,” Stroebel added.
The conference will feature sessions covering various topics such as advancing agricultural sustainability and food security.
The panellists will also zoom into governance, peace, and security in enabling Africa’s inclusive and sustainable development; climate change action and the Just Transition; and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to drive Africa’s development priorities.
Meanwhile, more than 30 papers will be presented by scholars from over 15 countries, including Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The annual AYGS conference is a research capacity-building project that was conceived in 2005 to build a body of knowledge and to project the African “voice” into various global discussions.
It is further intended to bridge the existing expertise gap in knowledge production on African affairs by developing a society of knowledge producers among the youth.
The conference, which features a comprehensive programme including a pre-conference training workshop on policy-engaged research and open science, is hosted by the HSRC’s Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA) in collaboration with the UMP, the National Research Foundation’s (NRF) Future Earth Africa Hub Leadership Centre, the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), and other key partners. – SAnews.gov.za
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