1:30 pm

Keynotes

Welcome
Prof. Dr. Maarten J.F.M. Hoenen (Vice President for Teaching and Development, University of Basel)

Introduction: Movers and breakers
Prof. Dr. Elísio Macamo (Director of the Centre for African Studies, University of Basel)

+++ CHANGE +++
Keynote: The challenge of development
Ambassador Jean-Marie Ehouzou (Permanent Representative of the African Union to the United Nations Office at Geneva)

Keynote: Africa: between hopes and realities
Ambassador Anne Lugon-Moulin (Head of the Sub-Saharan Africa and Francophonie Division, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)

Keynote: When perception meets reality
Dov Bar-Gera (Co-founder and CEO, YooMee Africa)

2:30 pm

Break

2:50 pm

Breakaway panel sessions

A1: Corporate responsibility and human rights

B1: Sustainable urbanisms and green technology

C1: Talents, employees, labor markets

3:40 pm

Break

4:00 pm

Breakaway panel sessions

A2: Accountability and anti-corruption measures

B2: Digital natives and industry 4.0

C2: Higher education, private sector and socio-economic development 

4:50 pm

Break

5:10 pm

Wrap-up and final discussion

5:45 pm

Reception

7:00 pm

Carl Schlettwein Lecture:

Digitalisation and the field of African Studies 
Prof. Dr. Mirjam de Bruijn (Professor of Contemporary History and Anthropology of Africa, University of Leiden)

A1: Corporate responsibility and human rights

• Sibel Gürler (Head Statehood and Conflict, Swisspeace)
• Zinette Bergman (University of Basel) CHANGE
• Frédéric Chenais (Policy Advisor Business and Human Rights, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)
• Christa Suter (CEO, bioRe Foundation)

Ideally, business supports socially, environmentally and economically sustainable development. While many entrepreneurs and investors contribute to this goal, respective incentives and regulations are often either not in place or ineffective. This panel will focus on the ways in which entrepreneurs and investors can contribute to the fostering of human security, the promotion of human rights – and the challenges they face in living up to these expectations. The discussion will address both structural and intercultural incentives and constraints.

A2: Accountability and anti-corruption measures

• Christian Hauser (Professor of Business Economics and International Management, HTW Chur)
• Gemma Aiolfi (Head of Compliance, Corporate Governance and Collective Action, Basel Institute on Governance)
• Barbara Maurer (Legal Advisor International Investments and Multinational Enterprises, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO)
• Hannes Oswald-Brügel (Regional Compliance Officer EMEA, Roche) WITHDRAWN
  

Corruption and bribery are seen as major concerns both for socio-economic development and for doing business in an African context. This panel will tackle these issues by taking into account different perspectives. It will ask what corruption means for the societies concerned, what role rules, norms and interests play, and what individuals and organizations can do in order to prevent themselves from being involved in illegal and illegitimate activities.

B1: Sustainable urbanisms and green technology

• Mandu dos Santos Pinto (Architect and CEO, MANDU | architexture, urbanizm & consulting)
• David Avery (Head of Cleantech, Switzerland Global Enterprise) 
• Sophie Oldfield (Professor of Urban Studies, University of Basel/University of Cape Town)
• Edlam Yemeru (‎Chief Urbanization Section, UN Economic Commission for Africa) WITHDRAWN

In the context of Africa’s fast urbanization opportunities and challenges arise for both business and socio-economic development. The transportation of goods and people, the provision of power and water, as well as sanitation and waste management require innovative and sustainable solutions for the sprawling urban centres. This panel discusses the ways in which investors and entrepreneurs, authorities and not least the urban residents contribute to the development and implementation of such solutions.

B2: Digital natives and industry 4.0

• Eric Laux (Director Strategy and Business Development, Quantum Global) CHANGE
• Dov Bar-Gera (Co-founder and CEO, YooMee Africa)
• Torbjörn Frederiksson (Chief ICT Analysis Section, UNCTAD)
• Temitope Ola (Founder and CEO, Edacy/Project leader MOOCs Africa, EPFL)

This panel addresses current trends in the booming and dynamic ICT sector in various African sub-regions. It assesses the impact of technological innovation particularly in the field of digitalization and mobile communication on socio-economic development and explores the potential for investment and collaboration.

C1: Talents, employees, labor markets

• Kate Meagher (London School of Economics)
• Bréma Ely Dicko (Head Department of Social Anthropology, University of Bamako) 
• Sabina Handschin (Education Advisor, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC)
• Alfred Spinnler (Vice President, Swisscham-Africa/Senior Consultant Nigeria + Ghana, Healthcare-Dimensions)

In this panel, we will discuss the role of human resources for the relation between entrepreneurship and society. The issues range from the search for talents and the employers’ demands towards the labor market to the expectations of local employees towards their employers and the socio-economic impact of education and employment policies in the context of high unemployment rates among young people.

C2: Higher education, private sector and socio-economic development

• Akiiki Babyesiza (Researcher/Consultant, CHE Consult)
• Ton Dietz (Director, African Studies Centre Leiden)
• Marcel Tanner (Professor of Epidemiology and Medical Parasitology, Swiss TPH/President, Swiss Academy of Sciences)
• Henri-Michel Yéré (Senior Diversity & Inclusion Partner, Novartis Switzerland)

Development policies ascribe higher education a major role in socio-economic development and scientific research should play a key role for the achieving the goals of the UN’s Agenda 2030. But knowledge production and capacity building are priorities not only for African governments and foreign donors; they are also crucial resources for local and international business. This panel will discuss forms of collaborations in the production of knowledge in, on and for Africa, taking into account the potential contributions and needs of both private enterprise and socio-economic development.