Opening IWE-HSG Competence Center for African Research

On January 14 and 15, 2020, the IWE-HSG Competence Center for African Research (CCAR) was officially launched.

Personalities from academia and research from Europe, Africa and North America came together for a mutual exchange of groundbreaking and cutting-edge contributions that addressed the African context and African voices and experiences with a focus on ethics, technology and Africa. The symposium was a great success and an inspiration for future scientific collaborations.

The symposium was opened in the Kantonsratssaal in St.Gallen by the initiator/founder of the Center, Prof. Florian Wettstein, Professor of Business Ethics at the Institute of Business Ethics at the University of St.Gallen. Prof. Wettstein explained to the participants that the foundation of this center was based on both moral and strategic necessity.

The moral or scientific reason was that African voices are underrepresented in global scientific discourses and the center can play a role in promoting more inclusive discourses. From a strategic perspective, the University of St.Gallen needs to position itself with a focus on Africa, and the new center can help create such a scholarly space. The launch of the CCAR therefore aims to fill this gap by creating a research space with a uniquely collaborative scholarly framework in the landscape of African Studies at the University of St.Gallen. The Vice President for External Relations, Prof. Ulrich Schmid, also welcomed the initiative, calling the new center a platform that focuses on a "blind spot in the Swiss educational system" - namely Africa. Thus, he said, the symposium is an extraordinary scientific platform, not only for the institute, but for Switzerland as a whole.

In his speech, the executive director of the Competence Center, Dr. Thierry Ngosso, also emphasized the importance of the Competence Center. He is pleased that the Africa discourse at the University of St.Gallen is now gaining ground, because not only Africans should talk about Africa. There is still much to be done to collectively deepen the landscape of African Studies at the University of St.Gallen and beyond.

The overarching theme of the CCAR inaugural symposium was Ethics, Technology and Africa. Special attention was given to the potentials and risks of artificial intelligence and new information and communication technologies for the African continent, as well as to the responsibility of technology companies in mitigating the risks of new technologies. The scientific discourse on these topics was shaped by African voices, experiences and contexts.

The inaugural symposium brought together scholars from interdisciplinary backgrounds, including political philosophy, history, technology, business and human rights, international relations, international studies, political science, jurisprudence, and law and economics from Africa, Europe, and North America. The symposium included four keynote speakers, Thierry Amougou (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium), Nomalanga Mkhize (Nelson Mandela University, South Africa), Tina Freyburg (University of St.Gallen, Switzerland), and Uchenna Okeja (Rhodes University, South Africa). The overarching theme of these keynotes spanned numerical capital, numerical change, and political change; technology, ethics, and economic development; the Internet and democracy; and personality and the emergence of digital capitalism. All presentations focused on the African context.

Panels addressed topics such as ethics, technology and human rights; information and communications technology; globalism; personhood and digital capital; the Internet and democracy; and technology, ethics and economic development. Comments, questions, and feedback were shared on each topic.
The inaugural symposium also included a documentary film titled "Citizens offline," roundtables, and discussions with representatives from various disciplines and stakeholders, including civil society organizations (Internet without borders, France) and academia. The roundtables aimed to initiate a fruitful intercontinental discourse and a deeper network between scholars and stakeholders in Switzerland and on the African continent. The discussion allowed participants to hear voices from the field about the Internet shutdown not only through the documentary film, but also to share thoughts about why this is happening and what could be done about it.

Overall, the symposium provided a unique platform for high-caliber contributions. All contributions were from the African context, from African and non-African researchers and activists with a focus and research interest in Africa. By creating such a platform, the symposium provided an opportunity to discuss, debate, and reflect on the conference theme in a critical, collaborative, and interdisciplinary climate.

The opening symposium concluded with an institutional panel and closing remarks by Prof. Florian Wettstein and Dr. Thierry Ngosso. The institutional panel as a platform created a sense of community as participants shared thoughts on how best to move forward with the Center's short- and long-term plans.
The launch of the IWE-HSG CCAR inspired further collaborative work in the future. The participants as well as the organizing team were enthusiastic and satisfied and used the platform productively. Prof. Wettstein concluded by saying, "It was a very inspiring kick-off symposium at a high level, with well thought-out and in-depth presentations and discussions. We felt a great interest and support for the competence center - especially from our guests from different African countries."

CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event
CCAR Launch event

Mathieu Thierry Ngosso

PhD

Managing Director IWE-HSG Africa Center

Kontextstudium
Girtannerstrasse 8

9010 St. Gallen

Florian Wettstein

Prof. Dr.

Professor of Business Ethics

IWE-HSG
Blumenbergplatz 9
9000 St Gallen
north