Africa's relationships with the United States and other global powers are being reshaped by changing geopolitical, economic, security, and development priorities. Shifting Tides: The U.S.–Africa Relationship Amid Global Competition will bring together leading scholars, policymakers, diplomats, legal experts, and practitioners to consider what these changes mean for African countries and for the future of international engagement with the continent.
Over two days, conversations will span global governance and institutional reform, climate and innovation, migration and security, great power competition, and Africa's economic future. Speakers will examine these issues through African perspectives while considering the opportunities, tensions, and policy choices emerging from a more competitive global landscape.
The conference will feature five panel discussions and a keynote address by Chidi Blyden, Executive Director of the Harvard Center for African Studies.
Join us October 12–13, 2026, at Weiser Hall in Ann Arbor for a timely exchange of ideas on Africa's place in a changing world.
Shifting Tides: The U.S.-Africa Relationship Amid Global Competition is a two-day conference featuring five policy discussions and expert roundtables, an opening keynote address, and an executive reception designed to foster exchange among scholars, policymakers, diplomats, legal experts, and practitioners. Conversations will examine global governance, climate and innovation, geopolitics, peace and security, and Africa's economic future, with African perspectives at the center of the discussion.
The conference will take place October 12–13, 2026, at Weiser Hall in Ann Arbor.
Bringing African perspectives to the forefront of conversations on diplomacy, security, development, and global competition. Exploring how shifting partnerships and priorities are redefining the future of U.S.–Africa relations and Africa's role in the world.
