May 21–23, 2024 16th African Studies Conference “The New World Order: from the legacy of colonialism to sovereignty and development”
THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND HIGHER EDUCATION
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
INSTITUTE FOR AFRICAN STUDIES
|
30/1 ул. Спиридоновка, Москва, 123001 |
 |
30/1 Spiridonovka str., Moscow, 123001 |
THE NEW WORLD ORDER: FROM THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM TO SOVEREIGNTY AND DEVELOPMENT
16th International African Studies Conference dedicated to the
300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the
65th anniversary of the Institute for African Studies of the
Russian Academy of Sciences
(Moscow, Russia, 21–23 May 2024)
On May 21–23, 2024, the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on African Problems held the XVI International Conference of Africanists in Moscow, dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the 65th anniversary of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, on the topic: “The New World Order: from the legacy of colonialism to sovereignty and development.”
More than two hundred scientists, Russian and foreign, took part in this conference. The Conference brought together participants from 15 countries. Foreign participants came from 9 African countries, such as Angola, Chad, Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Algeria, as well as from the UAE, India, Chile, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Including such prominent African scientists as Philani Mthembu, Executive director at the Institute for Global Dialogue, South Africa; Kgothatso Shai, Head of the Department of cultural and political studies at the University of Limpopo, South Africa; Thean Potgieter, Chief Director, Research and market intelligence of the National school of government, South Africa; Ernest Toochi Aniche, Acting Head of the Department of political science of the Federal University Otuoke, Nigeria; Kasaija Phillip Apuuli, Associate professor of the Department of political science and public administration of Makerere University, Uganda; Hamdy Hassan, Professor at the Cairo University, Egypt, Zayed University, UAE; Andreas Velthuizen, Thabo Mbeki African Institute for Public and International Affairs, University of South Africa (UNISA), South Africa; Keith Gottschalk, Political Studies Dept., University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Russian participants came from the following cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Orel, Nizhny Novgorod, Tyumen, Tver, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd and Yekaterinburg.
The opening ceremony of the conference was attended by the heads of African diplomatic missions in Moscow, representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Duma, the Federation Council, the Ministry of Education and Science, institutes of the RAS, and the country's leading universities. The Conference was opened by the Director of the Institute for African Studies of the RAS, Corresponding Member of the RAS, Dr. Sc. (Econ.), Professor Irina Abramova. To conduct the plenary session, the chairman of the conference organizing committee, Honorary President, Member of the RAS, Dr. Sc. (Hist.), Professor Alexei Vasiliev took the floor. He congratulated those gathered on the opening of the conference and handed over the microphone for greetings to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for relations with the countries of the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov. On behalf of the Department of Global Problems and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Council of Professors of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Africanists were welcomed by Vladislav Panchenko. Chairman of the Federation Council Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on International Affairs Grigory Karasin assured the audience that the scientific conclusions of the conference of Africanists will be studied with interest and will be used in the activities of the committee he represents, and supported these words. Nikolay Novichkov, Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Then there were words of congratulations and parting words from Sergei Orlov, Deputy Executive Director of the Public Diplomacy Fund named after A. Gorchakov. Oleg Ozerov, Head of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Special Assignments, wished for new scientific achievements and successful work of the conference. Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, noted the growing relevance of educational cooperation in the African direction. Director of the RAS Archives Alexander Rabotkevich drew attention to the significant contribution domestic African studies made to the development of Russian science. On behalf of the African diplomatic corps, the scientists were welcomed by the Ambassador of the Republic of the Congo, Mr. David Maduka. President of the Union of African Diaspora in Russia, Professor Kinfu Zenebe Tafesse and honorary scientists from Africa.
High standards for scientific discussion were set by the plenary report “The New World Order: From the Legacy of Colonialism to Sovereignty and Development,” presented by the Director of the Institute of African Studies of the RAS I. Abramova. The plenary session was continued with reports from African scientists: Philani Mthembu (South Africa), Kgothatso Shai (South Africa), Ernest Toochi Aniche (Nigeria), Hamdy Hassan (Egypt), Kasaija Phillip Apuuli (Uganda), Thean Potgieter (South Africa).
During the conference, more than 200 reports were made, work took place in 24 sections, six thematic blocks: “Global Problems”, “International Relations”, “Economy and Technology”, “History, Languages and Cultures”, “Social and Political Problems” , “Problems of security and conflict resolution.” Within the framework of the “Social and Political Problems” block, a round table “Access to clean water in Africa: socio-economic, political and technological aspects” was held.
A short plenary session closed the conference. The results of the work were summed up by the Honorary President of the Institute of African Studies of the RAS, Member of the RAS, Dr. Sc. (Hist.), Professor A. Vasiliev; Deputy Director, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor Dr.Sc. (Hist.), Professor D. Bondarenko; Deputy Director Dr. Sc. (Geography) R. Dmitriev; Deputy Director Dr.Sc. (Hist.) N. Zherlitsyna.
The conference participants who took part in the meeting unanimously highly appreciated the high level of the event, its high scientific and applied significance and expressed words of gratitude.
During the conference on May 21, 2024, a Cooperation Agreement was signed with colleagues from the Association of African Studies, New Delhi, India.
