Description:

In the desperate quest for the continent's resources – whether Nigeria's oil, Mozambique's gas, the Congo's coltan or Zimbabwe's lithium, a new scramble for Africa is in the making. Moreover, in a world wracked by conflict, protagonists seek to court support in Africa. The number of actors and their attempts to influence Africans have increased astronomically and include former colonial powers, the U.S., the EU, China, India, Indonesia, Turkey, and the UAE. The areas where cooperation is sought with African partners include issues of climate change, maritime security, the energy sector, digital governance, gender and perhaps the most important – the defence sector. Now, more than ever, there is a desperate need to understand Africa's international engagements. This has been given added impetus on account of African states' membership and engagements with BRICS Plus and the G-20. In addition, given the shifting power dynamics globally, what does the phrase "Global South" mean? More to the point, where is African agency in all this international collaboration?

In an effort to answer these pressing questions, the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies at the University of the Free State in South Africa, the Centre for African Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, and the African Studies Association of India are co-hosting an international webinar on Africa's Global Engagements: Opportunities and Challenges. It brings together scholars and policy-makers from diverse backgrounds and diverse disciplines in an effort to holistically understand Africa's place in the fast-changing global international order.

Dates: 27 & 28 February 2024 via Zoom

Time:

• 27 Feb – 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM (IST) and 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM (South Africa Time)
• 28 Feb – 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (IST) and 5:30 AM to 2:00 PM (South Africa Time)

Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82574551674?pwd=Putxan9eUTyHzOPTCp6UqSL7jtkz2H.1

Meeting ID: 825 7455 1674

Passcode: CASUFSASA

Speakers:

1. Prof. Ajay Dubey, President ASA India & Professor CAS, SIS, JNU (India)
2. Prof. Hussein Solomon, Professor, CGAS, UFS and NESA Center alum (South Africa)
3. Prof. Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, UFS (South Africa)
4. Prof. J.M. Moosa, Chairperson & Professor, CAS-SIS, JNU (India)

The views presented in this post are those of the speaker or author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.