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International society is currently facing polycrisis regarding global challenges such as destabilization of international order, climate change, infectious disease, food and energy security. Besides, there are opportunities for rapid socio-economic development in developing countries, through cross-border human resource and knowledge circulation, as well as science, technology and innovation, such as digital technology. In this context, highly qualified human resource development is necessary in respective expertise for social science, science technology and innovation in terms of solving global challenges, and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries, so that the capacity development for higher education institution is a critical as a role for cross-border co-creation of new findings and technology.

The ratio for enrollment of higher education in Africa is around 9% (2023), which is the lowest compared to other regions. On the other hand, according to the United Nations, a quarter of world population (2.4 billion) make up Africa by 2050, which is the youngest population of any continent. In terms of socio-economic development with benefit from younger generation, it is essential for development of young talent with ensuring the quality of education, so that highly qualified human resource development is critical challenge.

Under such circumstances, JICA is promoting establishment of international brain circulation between Arica and Japan, in order to contribute to growth of Africa as well as capturing its vitality. In the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), JICA will launch the new academic network between Japan and Africa, in which Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST, Egypt), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT, Kenya) and Stellenbosch University (SU, South Africa) act as ¡°Hub¡± for networking and collaboration among African universities and with Japanese universities. This side event aims to discuss promotion of mutually beneficial international brain circulation and its dissemination between Africa and Japan through knowledge co-creation.

Key Questions

• Human resource development of researchers through international joint researches
• Promotion of academic network among Africa and with Japan
• Contribution for solving challenges for socio-economic development in Africa

Objective

• To launch the new academic network between Japan and Africa, in which Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST, Egypt), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT, Kenya) and Stellenbosch University (SU, South Africa) act as ¡°Hub¡± for networking and collaboration among African universities and with Japanese universities, which is called ¡°AJ-INSPIRE¡± (Africa-Japan Initiative for Scientific Partnership in Innovative Research and Education)
• To discuss how knowledge co-creation and development of highly qualified human resource are promoted in terms of solving challenges for socio-economic development in Africa through collaboration with multiple stakeholders.
• To deepen understanding for development of education, research and academia-industry collaboration in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Africa.

Speakers from the World Bank

Ousmane Diagana
Vice President for Western and Central Africa, World Bank 

Senior Education Specialist, Eastern and Southern Africa, World Bank¡¡