Conference objectives

The ACDE 2027 Conference aims to:

• Rethink financial models and funding of higher education in Africa.
• Promote equity, inclusion, and ethical governance of higher education in global geopolitics and exponential age.
• Advance African sovereignty, responsible innovation, and sustainable digital transformation.
• Strengthen partnerships among countries, academia, industry, government, communities and civil society in Africa.
• Foster youth mobility and innovation in Africa.
• Promote entrepreneurship among youthful population in Africa.
• Promote science diplomacy in Africa.
• Encourage multi-, trans-, cross-, inter- and intra-disciplinarity.
• Foster intelligent, resilient, and future-ready universities across Africa.

Conference tracts

1. Digital transformation in open distance education
2. Financing higher education  
3. Partnerships
4. African universities in Africa, sovereignty and Africanisation
5. Innovation, entrepreneurship, employability and youthful dividends in Africa
6. African sciences for blue economy, diaspora, astronomy, climate change, food security, public health, marine studies, water and space sciences
7. Leadership and institutional transformation in ODEL
8. Intra-, inter-, cross- and multi-disciplinarity, future skills and emerging fields
9. Inclusive, connected and sustainable learning ecosystems
10. Internationalisation, mobility and Pan-African Higher Education