Nayab Ali
International Diplomacy Programs Administrator
Weill Hall 3315
735 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
Agenda and Speaker Bios
Shifting Tides: The U.S.-Africa Relationship Amid Global Competition
Co-organized by Michigan Law School & African Studies Center, LS&A
Explore the schedule, session descriptions, and speaker biographies below.
Monday, October 12, 2026 — Day 1
8:30–9:00 AM — Continental Breakfast & Coffee
9:00–9:15 AM — Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:15–10:00 AM — Opening Keynote Address — Chidima Blyden
10:00–10:15 AM — Coffee Break
10:15–11:45 AM — Panel 1: African Voices on Global Governance, International Law, and Institutional Reform
11:45 AM–1:00 PM — Lunch
1:00–2:30 PM — Panel 2: Climate, Innovation, and Human Capital: Navigating Africa's Green Transitions
2:30–2:45 PM — Coffee & Networking Break
2:45–4:15 PM — Panel 3: Migration, Peace and Security in an Age of Uncertainty
4:15–4:30 PM — Day 1 Closing Remarks
6:00–9:00 PM — Executive Reception & Dinner
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 — Day 2
8:30–9:00 AM — Continental Breakfast & Coffee
9:00–9:10 AM — Day 2 Welcome
9:15–10:45 AM — Panel 4: Geopolitics and Great Power Competition: Africa's Strategic Positioning
10:45–11:00 AM — Coffee Break
11:00 AM–12:30 PM — Panel 5: Africa's Economic Future: Trade Integration, Investment, and Growth Pathways
12:30–12:45 PM — Closing Reflections
12:45–2:00 PM — Closing Lunch & Networking
2:00 PM — Conference Concludes
October 12, 2026 | 10:15–11:45 AM
Combines African policy and legal perspectives on reforming global governance and the rules-based order. Examines representation and influence within institutions such as the UN, IMF, World Bank, WTO, and ICSID, and how African states and the African Union deploy legal instruments, treaty-making, and voting coalitions to shape global norms. Considers sovereignty, recognition, dispute settlement, development assistance, and non-interference principles in an era of multipolar competition. Highlights African contributions to international law and implications for U.S.–Africa engagement.
Panelists
October 12, 2026 | 1:00–2:30 PM
Examines how climate pressures, demographic trends, and resource endowments drive policy innovation and legal change across the continent. Discusses environmental and climate governance, natural resource and critical mineral policy, labor and mobility frameworks for youth, IP considerations in technology transfer, and the political economy of climate finance. Identifies strategic opportunities for U.S.–Africa cooperation on green industrialization, sustainable energy, and human capital development.
Panelists
October 12, 2026 | 2:45–4:15 PM
Explores shifting security landscapes—from coups in the Sahel to electoral contestation, insurgencies, and maritime insecurity. Integrates policy analysis (peacebuilding, regional security cooperation, counterterrorism assistance, election observation) with relevant legal frameworks (constitutional norms, AU/ECOWAS protocols on unconstitutional changes of government, international humanitarian law, human rights, and sanctions regimes). Assesses implications for U.S.–Africa security cooperation and governance support.
Panelists
October 13, 2026 | 9:15–10:45 AM
Analyzes how African governments manage external influence and competition among the U.S., China, Russia, the EU, and Gulf States. Consider both policy tools (foreign aid, infrastructure, security partnerships, media engagement) and legal instruments (basing agreements, investment contracts, maritime rules, bilateral treaties). Highlights African agency in strategic non-alignment, the African Union's diplomatic positioning, and how great power competition shapes development outcomes and sovereignty debates.
Panelists
October 13, 2026 | 11:00–12:30 PM
Centers on Africa's economic transformation and emerging growth strategies. Examines the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a driver of intra-African trade, industrialization, and market harmonization. Explores how sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and financial regulatory reforms could mobilize domestic capital for Africa-to-Africa investment and reduce dependence on external financing. Discusses barriers to investment (infrastructure, risk perception, monetary policy fragmentation), and opportunities in manufacturing, services, and digital trade. Identifies implications for U.S.–Africa economic engagement and the evolving role of development finance institutions.