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Makerere University is set to host the International Geopolitics Conference today, October 17, 2023. 

This comes at the time when the institution recently renewed a deal with partners to host this year's international two-day event with the aim of advancing digital inclusion in the country.

The conference, according to UN Women country representative Dr Paulina Chiwangu, shall create a platform for participants to discuss the challenges in representation in the technology sector and how implications of bias in product design.

This, she says would include the need for increasing education for girls in technology and the need to enhance safety and access as critical for economic growth and inclusive job creation.

Chiwangu adds that the sixth edition of the geopolitics conference will attract large numbers of participants from both academia and political wing.

"This will open up doors to the country to advance digital inclusion among institutions of higher learning and also learners," Chiwangu said.

Chiwangu was speaking recently during the media launch of the sixth Kampala Geopolitics Conference at Makerere University.

She agitated for the localisation of technological solutions so as to enable the population to acquire knowledge and bets understand the skills which she emphasized are dynamic.

"Localisation is increasingly important in the policy and development space. Too often we are seeing decisions or solutions formed detached from lived experiences," Chiwangu said.

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) director Nils Wörmer said another aim of the conference is to stimulate exchange between local and regional actors to increase activism.

He noted that the East African region is also a geopolitical theatre for great power conflicts and international power projection and influence.

"Our aim is to reach as many interested individuals as possible and to discuss a broad spectrum of solutions through a high-quality debate on all these topics.

With the discussions we want to break through the academic wall in order to create real added value for practitioners," Wörmer said.

For Xavier Sticker, the Ambassador of France to Uganda, the conference shall also highlight Uganda's efforts in protecting and providing for the refugees.

The French ambassador said the conference was an opportunity to create more awareness on civil conflicts in the East African region, something he said has for so long increased the number of refugee seekers.

"We ought to intentionally tackle the question of civil conflicts and how best the same can be brought to an end. This conference shall be the best place to discuss that," Sticker said yesterday.

However, according to Makerere University vice-chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the 6th edition of the conference will bring on board researchers and academia at the national and international levels, professionals in different spheres of life, diplomatic missions, the government, private sector, civil organisations, the media, staff, alumni and students.

“I re-affirm the commitment of Makerere University to host and participate in this discourse that presents an opportunity to researchers, scholars, staff and students to share ideas through intellectual debates.

The topical issues to be discussed will equip our students and youth who end up taking on various leadership positions in the country with knowledge and a balanced perception and appreciation of national and global affairs,” Nawangwe said.

Given the success of the previous editions, the Embassy of France to Uganda, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Makerere University, UN Women, Alliance Française Kampala and the Institute de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques (IRIS) are happy to partner again for a new edition of the conference.

 The event shall run under the theme: Closing the Global Digital Divide: Advancing Digital Inclusion and Economic Opportunities for All.

According to the plan, this year’s event shall host eight roundtable sessions on a variety of topics relating to global challenges, security, regional trends, culture and society.

The conference aims to engage the audience with a special focus on students, academia, representatives from civil society and media, political decision-makers and the diplomatic community. Cultural activities will also punctuate the event.