Hosted by University of Yaoundé II and Pan-African University, Institute for Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences (PAUGHSS)

Theme: National Innovation System for Resilience and Sustainable Development in Africa

The 5^th AfricaLics International Conference is being held at the opportune time as the African economies recover from post COVID-19 impact while still struggling to attain sustainable development. The impact of COVID, but also the undesirable environmental and social effects, including climate change and excessive socio-economic inequalities have challenged the traditional narrow focused innovation models of growth. This means that the 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 very 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.  Further, the discussion is crucial for better understanding of innovation and the need for development of capabilities, which can help foster sustainable industrialization and development in a manner that respects the planetary boundaries. This means that Africa cannot escape discussions regarding how to combine the need for economic growth with the need for more environmentally and socially sustainable developments paths. 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?

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