ABOMEY-CALAVI, Benin, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2024 Sixth International Symposium on West African Studies (6th ISWAS), themed "Digital Technology Enabled Economic and Social Development in West Africa", opened in Benin on Nov. 20, local time. Attendees at the opening who made speeches included Nelly KELOME, the Vice-Chancellor of University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Benin, Mu Tao, the President of the Chinese Society of African Historical Studies, Rosemond Boohene, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana, and Tang Hong, the Chairman of Ghana Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
This year's ISWAS was co-hosted by the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) and Benin's UAC, and jointly organized by the Center for West African Studies of UESTC, School of Public Administration of UESTC, and Faculté de Droit et de Science Politique (FADESP), Benin. Over 60 scholars and company representatives from China, Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo gathered to engage in in-depth discussions on topics including digital economic development in West African countries, China-Africa cooperation on digital economy, and top talent development.
The symposium included a range of activities, including the book launch for Research on West African Development (Vol. 2), the Roundtable on China-Africa Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development, the opening of the Open Learning Centre (Future Academy), the opening of the China-Africa Regional Cooperation Center for Digital Education, and the signing ceremony for a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation among UESTC, the Open University of China (OUC) and UAC.
Those who delivered keynote addresses included An Chunying CAS, the Senior Research Fellow of Institute of West-Asian and African Studies of CASS, Zhao Shurong, the Director of Center for West African Studies of UESTC, and Roland Z. AHOUMAN, the President of Centre Ivoiro-Chinois pour la Recherche et le Développement. An focused on China's poverty governance in rural areas and China-Africa poverty reduction cooperation. Zhao focused on the impact of Internet use on public sector employees' public service motivation - from China's experience. And AHOUMAN focused on digital technology's enablement of Ivory Coast's economic and social development.
The symposium included five parallel sub-forums for the scholars and experts to focus on China-African cooperation on digital economy, China-African's cooperative response to global climate change, and Chinese hospitals' digitalization models. After the forums, participants went on a site visit to Guangzhou Sincerity Apsonic Benin Sarl, China's medical aid team in Benin, Confucius Institute at the UAC, and Association des Chinois et des Résidents Beninois (ACRB).
The Center for West African Studies of UESTC was set up in Apr. 2017 and that it is jointly funded by UESTC, the University of Ghana (UOG), the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana, the Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED-UEW), and the University for Development Studies (UDS). The Center for West African Studies has hosted five symposiums over the years as it steadily carries forward with country and region studies through the platform of the "International Conference on Public Administration" to deepen academic exchanges, mutual learning, and practical cooperation between the academic communities in China and West Africa.
Source: The University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC)
Contact person: Ms. Hou, Tel: 86-10-63074558
