Africa Day 2024
Key information
- Date
- Time
-
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
- Venue
- SOAS Gallery, SOAS University of London
- Room
- BGLT / KLT
- Event type
- Conference & Event highlights
About this event
Join us for this year's Africa Day, in collaboration with Stellenbosch University and the Stellenbosch Business School, for a range of keynotes and panels on the theme of 'The Africa Innovation Agenda'.
In a world often divided around political ideology, Africa Day is the celebration of coming together as an African continent, regardless of ideology and affiliations to either the West or the East, the North, or the South. It is a day that African’s celebrate our identity as Africans with a common purpose to unite, foster peace and improve the livelihoods of all, across the continent.
2024 is dubbed the year of Education by the African Union, we as a university are pleased to be collaborating with Stellenbosch University and the Stellenbosch Business School in presenting the annual Africa Day event in London.
The event with the theme: “The Africa Innovation Agenda – igniting and accelerating innovation growth through government, business, society, and education in Africa”, and attended by leaders from business, government, and organisations with vested interests in Africa, as well as diplomatic representatives and educational professionals with an interest in education in Africa.
Plenary speakers
The plenary speakers of the event are:
- Lord Dr Michael Hastings, Chair, SOAS Board
- Zeinab Badawi, President, SOAS University of London
- Owen Martin Jones, Regional Director, African Leadership Academy
- Chidi Ogbata, Head of Corporate Banking and Wealth Management, Zenith Bank
- Prof Hester Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Strategy, Global and Corporate Affairs, Stellenbosch University
- Samantha Atta-Mensah, Funding Expert, Seedlegals
- Mudiwa Dutiro, Pan-EU E-commerce Account Manager, Amazon
- Beauclaire Mbanya, MBA Candidate at University of Oxford
- Githiora Thuku, Early-Stage Investor, Baobab Network
Panels
The event will include two focused panels:
Panel one
Panel one will discuss The Africa Innovation Agenda – and how government, business and society can ignite and accelerate innovation and growth
This panel will include:
- Cobus Visagie, Group CEO, Africa Merchant Capital (moderator)
- Abi Ajayi, Head of Middle East & Africa Primary Markets, London Stock Exchange
- Dr Greg Chola Nsofu, Director Information and Communications Technology, Bank of Zambia
- Agnes Gitau, Executive Director, Eastern Africa Association
- Jidé Olanrewaju, Vice Chairman of the Royal African Society and Partner TPG Growth
- Stella Opoku-Owusu, Executive Director, African Foundation for Development (AFFORD)
Panel two
Panel two will discuss The Africa Innovation Agenda – and how universities, government and civil society can ignite and accelerate innovation and growth through education
This panel will include:
- Prof Joanna Newman, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Education, SOAS University of London (moderator)
- Prof Wim de Villiers, Vice-Chancellor, Stellenbosch University
- Prof 'Funmi Olonisakin, Vice-President: International, Engagement & Service, King's College London
- Prof Michael Scott, Pro-Vice Chancellor: International, University of Warwick
- Prof Iain Gillespie, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Dundee
Programme
| Time | Activity | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00pm | Welcome and protocols | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre | |
| 1:05pm | Welcome by host university | Lord Dr Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE | |
| 1:15pm | Opening keynote address | Zeinab Badawi | |
| 1:40pm | Keynote dialogue | Lord Dr Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE with Owen Martin Jones and alumni | |
| 2:05pm | Change over to venues for streams 1 and 2 | ||
| 2:15pm | Streams Panel discussion with Q&A | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre or Khalil Lecture Theatre | |
| 3:45pm | Change over to main joint venue | ||
| 3:55pm | Report back to plenary by Rapporteurs | Moderators of panels – Cobus Visagie and Prof Joanna Newman | Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre |
| 4:25pm | Closing address from co-host university | Prof Hester Klopper | |
| 4:45pm | Vote of thanks and invite to network | Chidi Ogbata | |
| 5:00pm | Networking reception | Hosted by Prof Adam Habib | Paul Webley Wing Cloisters |
Image: Zoe Reeve via Unsplash
