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Programme
Programme will be updated here
 
Conference on EU-Africa relations: opportunities for collaboration amid geopolitical competition
Thursday, 5 December 2024
 
Royal Military Academy of Belgium
Aula Frank De Winne, Royal Military Academy, Hobbemastraat 8, 1000 Brussels 
 
 

As global geoeconomic competition intensifies, this conference will focus on exploring the opportunities for mutual EU-Africa development through Global Gateway, advancing collaboration in R&D and high-end manufacturing, and building resilient green value chains. Discussions will also address infrastructure development and securing critical raw materials, highlighting how strategic cooperation can drive sustainable growth for both regions. This event will provide you with a new perspective on EU-Africa relations, by unlocking new pathways for shared prosperity. The conference will start with a keynote speech by a high-level representative from Africa. Thereafter, there will be three/four academic presentations by researchers from Africa and Europe. Following up on this, there will be a panel discussion with participants from industry, the EU, think tanks, and academia.

Programme

9:15 – 9:45: Registration
9:45-10:00: Keynote
Genevieve-Anne Dehoux, Deputy Head of Unit Africa Unit, DG INTPA, European Commission
 
10:00-12:30:Academic presentations
Eleftheris Vigne, Researcher, Royal Military Academy
African States’ Alignment Strategies in the New Era of Great Power Rivalry: A Case Study of the Democratic Republic of Congo
 
Christian Géraud Neema, Africa Editor, The China-Global South Project
The Difficult Pathway for EU and China Cooperation in Critical Minerals in Africa
 
Kjeld van Wieringen, Policy Analyst, European Parliamentary Research Service
Global Gateway 2030: Future of Europe's global infrastructure bid
 
12:45-14:00 Lunch break
 
14:00-15:30: Panel discussion
Moderator
Atso Andersen
Panellists
Mariella Di Ciommo, Associate Director, ECDPM
Representative from Vecturis
Asad Beg, Senior Expert and team leader EU-AU affairs, EEAS
Hermine Sam, Program Coordinator, GMFUS
 
15:30: Networking reception