Programme
Sunday 25 May 2025
13:00 | Arrival and Registration |
Welcome Reception and Africa Day Celebration Programme Director: Professor Wanda Markotter, Interim Director, Future Africa, University of Pretoria, South Africa |
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14:00 – 15:00 | Welcome Remarks:
H.E. Salih Omar Abdu, Ambassador of the State of Eritrea to South Africa and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the Republic of South Africa Ms Anneline Morgan, Chief Director: Overseas Bilateral Cooperation, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) Dr Sepo Hachigonta, Acting Executive Director: Strategic Partnerships, Network and Resourcing, National Research Foundation (NRF) Ms Myranda Lutempo, Senior Policy Officer, African Union Southern Africa Regional Office Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Pretoria |
15:00 – 18:00 | Africa Day Celebration Festivities |
Monday 26 May 2025
07:30 | Arrival and Registration |
Formal Opening of Africa Week 2025
Programme Director: Ms Elma Akob, International MC and CEO of Elevate Africa Academy, South Africa |
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08:30 – 09:00 | Welcome Musical Interlude |
09:00 – 09:15 | Opening and Welcome Remarks:
Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa |
Plenary Session I: Where are we at? | Future Africa Global Lecture | |
09:15 – 10:00 | Keynote address by Prof Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor, SOAS University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies), United Kingdom |
10:00 – 10:30 | Tea | Coffee Break |
Plenary Session II: What is at stake? | |
10:30 – 11:30 | Thematic panel discussions
Panel Discussion: Climate and Environmental Security Moderator: Prof Barend Erasmus, Dean, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa Speakers: Prof David M Lodge, Francis J. DiSalvo Director of the Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Cornell University, United States Prof Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi, Professor of Climate Change, Food Systems, and Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom, and the Director of the Lancet Countdown Africa Regional Centre, Future Africa, University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa Respondent: Prof Nkechi S. Owoo, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Ghana, Ghana |
11:30 – 12:30 | Panel Discussion: Economic Security
Moderator: Prof Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu, Dean, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa Speakers: Prof Rajiv Kumar, Chairman, Pahle India Foundation, Delhi Dr Albert G. Zeufack, World Bank Country Director for Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sao Tome and Principe Respondent: Dr Jessika Bohlmann, Research Specialist, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of Pretoria (UP) , South Africa |
12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch Break |
13:30 – 14:30 | Panel Discussion: Knowledge Security and Research Integrity
Moderator: Mr Desmond Thompson, Journalist Speakers: Dr Flavia Schlegel, Visiting Fellow: International Science Council (ISC) and Future Africa, University of Pretoria Prof Vukosi Marivate, ABSA Chair of Data Science, Professor of Data Science for Social Impact Research Group , University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa Dr Ronald Tombe, Lecturer, Kiisi University, Kenya and Research Fellow, Future Africa, University of Pretoria. |
14:30 – 15:30 | Panel Discussion: Health Security
Moderator: Prof Chris Isike, Professor and Head of Department, Political Sciences and Director of the African Centre for the study of the United States, University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa Speakers: Prof Wanda Markotter, Future Africa Research Chair: People, Health and Places (One Health), Director: Centre for Viral Zoonoses, DSI-NRF South African Research Chair in Infectious Diseases of Animals (Zoonoses), University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa Dr Yewande Alimi, One Health Unit Lead and co-lead for the Africa Union Task force on AMR, Africa CDC, Addis Ababa Respondent: Dr Tedson Nkoana, Researcher, Future Africa Research Chair: People, Health and Places (One Health), University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa |
15:30 – 16:00 | Tea | Coffee Break |
16:00 – 17:15 | The VC’s Roundtable: Collaboration in challenging times: Sustaining impact, driving change towards new futures for Africa
Moderator: Prof Peter Lennie, Executive Director, Worldwide Universities Network Speakers: Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Pretoria, South Africa Prof Harlene Hayne, Vice-Chancellor: Curtin University, Australia Prof Manuel Guillerme Junior, Rector: Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique Prof Wisdom Tettey, President and Vice-Chancellor: Carleton University, Canada Prof Claire Quinn, representing Leeds University, United Kingdom Prof Daiji Kawaguchi, representing the University of Tokyo, Japan |
17:30 | Networking Cocktail Reception |
Tuesday 27 May 2025
Plenary Session I (Continued): What is at stake? | |
08:30 – 09:30 | Panel Discussion: Socio-Political Security
Moderator: Prof Maano Ramutsindela, Future Africa Research Chair in Sustainability Transformations, University of Pretoria (UP) and University of Cape Town (UCT) and Professor of Geography, UCT, South Africa Speakers: Prof David Mickler, Dean Global, Africa, Founding Director, Centre for Australia-Africa Relations in the office of the DVC Global and Associate Professor of International Relations, Curtin University, Australia and Visiting Fellow at Future Africa, University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa Prof Wisdom Tettey, President and Vice-Chancellor, Carleton University, Canada Respondent: Ms Kolosa Ntombini, Doctoral Researcher at University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa |
09:30 – 10:30 | Panel Discussion: Food Security
Moderator: Prof Claire Quinn, Professor in Natural Resource Management at the Sustainability Research Institute at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom; and Visiting Fellow at Future Africa, University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa Speakers: Prof Patrick Caron, Chair of Agropolis International and Vice-Chair of the CGIAR Integrated Partnership Board, France France Prof Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, Chair of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) System Board; Extraordinary Professor, University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa Respondent: Dr Selorm Yaotse Dorvlo, Senior Lecturer of Agricultural Mechanization, University of Ghana, Ghana |
10:30 – 11:00 | Tea | Coffee Break |
Plenary Session III: What will it take? | |
11:00 – 13:00 | High-level Panel Discussion
Moderator: Dr Heide Hackmann, Chair in Science Futures, Centre for Research in Evaluation, Science and Technology, University of Stellenbosch , South Africa Speakers: Prof Loretta Feris, Vice-Principal: Academic, University of Pretoria, South Africa Dr Phil Mjwara, Former Director General, Department of Science and Innovation (South Africa), and Ambassador Designate of South Africa at UNESCO Prof Steven Friedman, Research Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Politics Department, University of Johannesburg, South Africa Prof Baniyelme David Zoogah, Associate Professor, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada |
13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch Break |
Plenary Session IV: What about Africa? | |
14:00 – 16:00 | Final Plenary Dialogue:
Moderator: Ms Elma Akob Speakers: Dr Thokozile Lewanika, Founder of DML45 Consulting and Executive Education Faculty at Henley Business School, South Africa Prof Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor, SOAS University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies), United Kingdom |
16:00 – 16:15 | Vote of thanks and Closing
Professor Wanda Markotter, Interim Director, Future Africa, University of Pretoria, South Africa |
16:30 | Closing Cocktail Function |
Wednesday 28 May – Friday, 30 May 2025
Side Events at Africa Week 2025 |
28 May 2025: Official Africa Week side events dialogues. Open to all delegates 29–30 May 2025: Partner-led side events, workshops, exhibitions, and closed meetings (some sessions by invitation only) Access the side events Programme |
Sunday 25 May 2025
WELCOME RECEPTION AND Africa Day Celebration | |
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14:00-15:00 | Welcome and Introductions by Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Pretoria, South Africa Remarks by representatives of key organisations |
15:00 – 18:00 | Cocktail Function, Entertainment, Networking |
Monday 26 May 2025
Wednesday 28 May – Friday, 30 May 2025