Call for Papers: Technology and Development in Africa, 04/2001

CALL FOR PAPERS:

The 27th Annual Symposium

"Technology and Development in Africa"

April 25th-28th, 2001

Center for African Studies and College of Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign In cooperation with the African Academy of Sciences

Theme:

The theme of this Symposium is "Technology and Development in Africa."Special emphasis will be placed on the development and progress of information technology and biotechnology. These rapidly advancing technologies have had and will continue to have significant impacts on economic, social, and political life all over the world. This symposium will look at the promise and significance of these technologies as well as their relationships to development in Africa, and participants will explore the ways in which African societies engage these processes.

Description:

Progress in the development of science and technology over the last half of the twentieth century was explosive and very impressive. The early signs for the new Millennium are that this trend will continue unabated. New technologies including information technology, biotechnology, materials technology, and nanotechnology are being developed at breath-taking speed and their impact on the quality of everyday life is growing daily and becoming pervasive. Indeed, the development and adoption of technology have become important factors of economic growth and social change. Whereas developed countries are making massive investments and commitments to technology development, most developing countries, including many in Africa, are largely unable to do the same. Generally, these countries do not seem to be benefiting from many of the new technologies, and they have been unable to harness technologies that might alleviate enduring problems of hunger, malnutrition, and disease. What are some of the reasons for this? What can be done to change this situation? Given the technological developments, how are African scientists, politicians, and policy makers involved and directing their efforts and intellect to designing innovative and effective policies to transform the socio-economic environments of African countries? Clearly, African countries need to invest in and mobilize science and technology more than they have in the past if the continent is not to be left further behind the rest of the world in its socio-economic development.

This Symposium, sponsored by the Center for African Studies and the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in cooperation with the African Academy of Sciences, will endeavor to bring technical experts in the sciences, engineering, and humanities together with politicians and policy makers from Africa and around the world to deliberate on the role of technology in African development. Special emphasis will be paid to information technology and biotechnology and their impact on education, business, governance, health, environment, and agriculture.

Topics:

Information Technology and its Impact on:

Education

Business & Industry

Telecommunications

Agriculture

Energy Resources

Politics and Governance

Gender Issues

Biotechnology and its Impact on:

Genomics & Implications for Medicine

Environment

Agriculture & Food Safety and Security

Strategies & Structures for Cooperation:

Inter-African Collaborations

Inter-Agency Support for Research & Development

in Africa

Participation:

Scientists, engineers, social scientists, and policy makers will be invited. The Symposium will foster understanding and collaboration by supporting interdisciplinary exchange and dialogue among academicians, practitioners, and policy makers. Participants from Africa and other parts of the world are encouraged. Abstracts submitted should be no more than one page long or up to 400 words. Electronic submissions are encouraged.

DEADLINE: Submit Abstracts by: November 15, 2000

CONTACT: Center for African Studies

210 International Studies Bldg.

910 S. Fifth Street

Champaign, Illinois 61820

U.S.A.

Phone: 217-333-6335

Fax: 217-244-2429

E-mail: african@uiuc.edu

Web: www.afrst.uiuc.edu

Organizers:

Ilesanmi Adesida, Director,

Microelectronics Laboratory, Univ. of Illinois

Ibulaimu Kakoma, Associate Professor,

Veterinary Pathobiology, Univ. of Illinois

Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Director,

Center for African Studies, Univ. of Illinois

G.B.A. Okelo, Secretary-General,

Acting Executive Director, African Academy of

Sciences

Sponsors:

Center for African Studies

College of Engineering

Co-Sponsors:

African Business Center

Beckman Institute

Center for Advanced Study

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

College of Veterinary Medicine

Coordinated Science Lab

Department of Computer Science

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

International Programs and Studies

Materials Research Laboratory

Microelectronics Laboratory

National Center for Supercomputing Applications

U.S. Department of Education

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Date:Fri, 13 Oct 2000

From:Jamie McGowan

Univ. of Illinois, U-C

<jmcgowan@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>