Chinese actors often assert that their economic engagements are a driver of ‘developmental peace’. However, the connection between economic engagement and peace and security is not well understood. To gauge what is working for or against human security in Africa, we need to approach the issues through evidence-based research that is free from politicisation. African scholars are best suited to shed light on these dynamics as their perspectives are rooted in their own political systems, economies and societies. And yet, much of the analysis on Africa-China engagement to date has been conducted by scholars from outside of the continent. USIP aims to address this imbalance by centering the analysis and research of African early career scholars from across the continent.
Researchers will analyse topics such as infrastructure construction, resource extraction, wildlife trading, technology and arms trading in the following countries: Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Uganda and Zambia. Presentations will be in both French and English with simultaneous translations available for audience members.