The conference provided a platform for early career researchers to develop their presentation and networking skills while building collaborative relationships with other researchers.
The impact of COVID coupled with undesirable environmental and social effects - including climate change and excessive socio-economic inequalities - have challenged the traditional narrow focused innovation models of growth.
A group photo of participants who attended the 5th AfricaLics conference held in Yaounde, Cameroun, December 2022.
This means that debates around the role of science, technology and innovation (STI) in shaping the future of African countries will inevitably shift, post COVID. Such debates are crucial for the African region that hosts more than half of the least developed countries in the world; and which will - according to the UN - see its population doubling to 2.4 billion people by 2050.
In this context, the University of Yaoundé II, in partnership with the Pan-African University Institute for Governance, Humanities, and Social Sciences hosted the 5th AfricaLics Research Conference themed “National Innovation System for Resilience and Sustainable Development in Africa.” It was held on 9th-11th November 2022.
The conference was designed to create space for researchers to present their work and learn about new methods and theories. It provided a platform for early career researchers to develop their presentation and networking skills while building collaborative relationships.
It brought together Ph.D. students, early career researchers, and established scholars from various fields to enhance the quality of innovation studies related to development and growth in Africa.
A key discussion point was the need to develop capabilities to help foster sustainable industrialization and development in a manner that respects the planetary boundaries.
It also raises key questions around: How can the innovation and development community help to further develop concepts and strategies that deal with external shocks while keeping the focus on SDGs?
The AfricaLics network - hosted by ACTS - is an academic research and capacity building network that focuses on how innovation (the process through which new or improved products, processes, organizational forms, ways of working and acting are introduced into new environments) occurs and the relationship this has with economic and social development in African countries.
For more information log onto https://conference.africalics.org/
