Programme

To view the programme, click here.

Event link: Watch live.

Overview 

Africa Week is the University of Pretoria’s (UP) biennial science leadership summit hosted by the Future Africa platform. The 2025 event, organised with the support of the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) and the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI), will be held from 25 to 30 May 2025 and will convene prominent African and global science leaders and stakeholders for a series of high-level discussions under the theme ‘Global Security, Global Africa’.

Africa Week 2025 will bring together leaders from higher education institutions across Africa and the world and stakeholders from academia, government, business, civil society to deliberate on several key global security questions from an African perspective.

AAS Side Event

40 Years of the African Academy of Sciences: Celebrating Impact and Looking Ahead

Thursday 29 May 2025 09:00-11:00 SAST

The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) marks four decades of advancing science, technology, and innovation across the continent, this session provides a moment to reflect on an extraordinary journey of institutional growth, scientific excellence, and capacity strengthening.

Over the past 40 years, the AAS has evolved into a leading pan-African platform for catalysing research, fostering science leadership, and shaping policies that respond to Africa’s development priorities. From pioneering grant-making mechanisms and supporting thousands of researchers, to forming strategic partnerships that amplify African voices in global science diplomacy, the Academy has consistently advanced the frontiers of knowledge and inclusion.

This session will highlight the milestones, flagship programmes, and transformative collaborations that have defined the AAS's impact. It will also provide a space to hear from diverse voices — partners, grantees, and science leaders — who have been part of this journey, and who are helping shape the vision for the next chapter in the Academy’s legacy.

In a world of growing complexity and interdependence, the role of science in addressing Africa’s developmental and security challenges is more vital than ever. Join us as we celebrate 40 years of achievement and reimagine a future where African science drives inclusive growth, peace, and resilience.

Contacts

For more information, please contact Dr James Mushori j.mushori@aasciences.africa