New Solutions from Africa to Address the Challenges of a Sustainable Future: Sant'Anna School Launches the First AfricaConnect Symposium
An international event on 9–10 July will bring together Italian and African researchers to foster environmental cooperation for sustainable development. Among the keynote speakers will be Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
Environmental cooperation is increasingly recognized as a key driver in addressing the major challenges of our time: from climate change and biodiversity conservation to global health and the sustainable management of natural resources. These are the central themes of the first AfricaConnect Symposium, organized by the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies' AfricaConnect Special Programme, with the aim of promoting interdisciplinary, participatory, and cutting-edge research in partnership with Africa.
On 9 and 10 July, researchers from numerous African countries will gather at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies to share a rich scientific programme with the School's academic community, the wider university community in Pisa, and representatives of regional and national institutions. Together, they will explore shared, sustainable, and inclusive solutions to global challenges affecting people, societies, and the environment.
At the heart of the symposium is the concept of environmental cooperation: a joint and inherently multidisciplinary commitment to tackling common challenges through a One Health perspective, recognizing that human well-being is inseparable from the health of the planet. The symposium aims to foster dialogue capable of translating cutting-edge research into a shared pathway of mutual development focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The symposium will open with a message from Anna Maria Bernini, Italy's Minister of Universities and Research. Speakers will include Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS); Gemedo Dalle Tussie, former Ethiopian Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Carlo Fadda (CGIAR); Isayvani Naicker (Centre for Science and Policy); Cristina Manetti, Regional Councillor of Tuscany responsible for Relations with Universities and Research Centres; and academics from research institutions and universities across several African countries.
The African Union's Agenda 2063 actively promotes strategies that combine economic development, climate resilience, and international cooperation, in line with the European Union–African Union Innovation Agenda. Within this framework, environmental cooperation emerges as a fundamental tool for supporting climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, food security, and the promotion of safe and sustainable livelihoods. This is precisely where cutting-edge, interdisciplinary, and participatory research can generate lasting and sustainable innovation.
One of the distinguishing features of the AfricaConnect approach is its recognition of the central role of African institutions in shaping new paradigms for sustainability and development, through a post-colonial model of fully participatory and collaborative scientific dialogue. By bringing together African and European scholars, the first AfricaConnect Symposium seeks to strengthen existing collaborations, foster new scientific and institutional partnerships, and promote inclusive, forward-looking solutions.
You can find more details on program and speaker at the following link:
https://www.santannapisa.it/it/evento/africaconnect-symposium-environmental-cooperation-changing-world-new-paradigms-africa
