Goals

Increased global connectivity, unprecedented global environmental change, increasing threats from human and animal disease, and economic and political change, collectively and interactively are having profound influence on human livelihoods and development in Africa. Successfully facing these challenges and achieving political stability, food security, and environmentally sustainability represent significant challenges for the African continent in the 21st Century.

The Kansas State University African Studies Center will be hosting the “African Issues Symposium: Food Security, Environmental Sustainability & Human Health” on March 30 – April 1, 2009. This symposium will bring together prominent international experts on Africa and leaders in the natural and social sciences to address these key issues. In addition, the gathering of scholars from U.S. and international institutions will provide a valuable forum for dialogue, for identifying and clarifying key issues and problems, for summarizing and synthesizing current knowledge, and proposing a plan for the future. The symposium will include a series of special invited keynote speakers, contributed oral and poster presentations, and a closing series of panel discussions for summary and synthesis. A published volume of the proceedings of the symposium will be produced.