杏吧原创 University and Partners Organize Conference on Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Restorative Development in Africa
From May 20-22, 2025 hundreds of scholars, community elders, youth leaders and other stakeholders in the development community will converge at the Imperial Beach and Resort Hotel, Entebbe for the maiden edition of the International Conference on Indigenous knowledge systems and restorative development in Africa. The conference is being organized by , Institute of African Studies at 杏吧原创 University in partnership with Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda, with support from the Mastercard Foundation.
The Africa Indigenous Knowledge Research Network (AIKRN) was established in 2022 in partnership聽with the聽Mastercard聽Foundation as聽a聽consortium聽of聽universities聽and聽Indigenous institutions in Africa to undertake research geared towards identifying, recentering, and harnessing Indigenous knowledge in Africa for creating dignified jobs, and finding sustainable solutions to the challenges of poverty, governance, climate change and sustainable livelihood. AIKRN is aimed at foregrounding the authenticity of African Indigenous knowledge through co-creation, collaboration, and partnership with the custodians of knowledge such as community elders, traditional leaders,聽the聽youth聽and聽other gatekeepers of knowledge and enabling indigenous practices.
This聽conference聽is聽one聽of聽the聽series聽of聽activities聽designed聽by聽the聽AIKRN聽under聽the聽ongoing聽project on Unlocking Sustainable Solutions for Employment and Entrepreneurship: Empowering African Youth Through Indigenous Knowledge.聽During this conference,聽participants from different parts of the world will present their papers, listen to young female聽and male entrepreneurs who are already applying Indigenous knowledge in their enterprises, and engage with policymakers and development communities to recentre Indigenous knowledge in policy design for community-oriented聽development聽in聽Africa.
Against聽the聽backdrop聽of聽limited聽success聽of聽various聽policy聽interventions聽both聽at聽domestic聽and global levels to foster equitable and sustainable development, AIKRN conferences represent intentional and deliberate attempts to harness the wisdom and resources inherent聽in聽African聽and聽global聽Indigenous聽knowledges聽to tackle the ‘wicked problems鈥櫬爋f contemporary times such as poverty, extreme inequality, corruption, conflicts, climate change and food insecurity, among others.
The forthcoming conference provides a unique opportunity to directly engage with scholars, the youth, community elders and listen to their desires to apply African Indigenous knowledge in upscaling their enterprises, addressing pressing challenges such as climate change, governance and food insecurity.
The major activities at the conference include a keynote address, plenary sessions, policy roundtables, presentation at panels, exhibition of products made from Indigenous knowledge and high-level meetings among partners.
Outputs from the conference will include edited volumes published from peer-reviewed papers, policy briefs, podcasts and articles in newspapers.
Further information on the conference is available on the website of