May 16, 2020 “New Global and Regional Challenges in Africa”

May 16, 2020. The online conference “New Global and Regional Challenges in Africa” was jointly organized on the Zoom platform by the Junior Scholars Council of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the African Club of the MGIMO-University Scientific Student Society.

20 experts from various regions of Russia represented different institutions: Institute for African Studies RAS and MGIMO-University, St. Petersburg State University, Perm State National Research Institute, Ryazan State University, Moscow State University, Higher School of Economics.

Everyone had the opportunity to get acquainted with the event’s reports and follow the discussion online at YouTube channel of the Junior Scholars Council.

The conference participants addressed the problem of the spread of a new coronavirus infection in Africa, assessed the measures taken to prevent an increase in the number of cases, made a forecast of the socio-economic development of the national economy of the continent. In addition, the issues of cooperation between African states and foreign partners, in particular Russia, China, and the EU countries, in the context of the pandemic, were considered.

In addition to the above-mentioned topics, the participants discussed current military-political, social and infrastructural challenges and threats on the continent.

Specially for the event, the participants of the Meridian Expedition prepared videos about the current situation with a new coronavirus infection and food security in African countries, namely in Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal.

The organizers plan to publish the abstracts and the reports made.

The Junior Scholars Council of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences is interested in expanding the number of its partners from Russian and foreign universities and research centers and is ready to consider various research projects for joint implementation and to organize the events. Please send your suggestions to the email address: office@inafr.ru

Overview prepared by:
Kirill Aleshin, Member of the Directorate, Head of Applied Research Group, Senior Research Fellow, Ph.D. (Econ.), Univ. St.Gallen MBA
Gleb Sugakov, Junior Research Fellow