Africa Day : Celebrating African Excellence

On October 3rd, Sciences Po hosted a major event celebrating Africa’s rich heritage and vibrant innovations. On the occasion of the Francophonie Summit and in partnership with the French-African Foundation, AFRICA Day gathered 600 participants to imagine a future where African excellence shines on the global stage.

The day began at the Élysée Palace, where the next generation of African leaders engaged in a discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron. Following this, Arancha Gonzalez, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), and founding partner Nachouat Meghouar, Director General of the French-African Foundation, welcomed participants at Sciences Po and officially launched the first edition of the AFRICA Day which was supported by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, UM6P-Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Jeune Afrique magazine, Concerto, OCP Group, and Boston Consulting Group.

Throughout the day and in over 15 sessions, participants had the privilege to directly engage with more than 40 speakers and influential leaders from the continent on topics related to economics and finance, technology, development, climate change, security, entrepreneurship and creative industries. Further program details can be found at theafricaday.com.

For the final plenary session, Mohamed Ould El Ghazouani, the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Chairperson of the African Union, stressed how stability was necessary to Africa’s development and prosperity.

The day concluded with a memorable concert by Congolese artist Fally Ipupa, bringing together students and partners in celebration of the diverse voices and vibrant culture of the African continent. 

This successful event was made possible by the dedication and enthusiasm of our many student volunteers who made sure the day went smoothly. 

AFRICA Day was also a demonstration of Sciences Po’s strong commitment to Africa. We are proud to be one of Europe’s universities with the most active network of partner institutions in Africa. We also offer many academic programs and research dedicated to the continent. PSIA notably offers targeted courses through the African Studies concentration.

Sciences Po’s student and alumni communities are also enriched by some 700 students from 46 African countries and over 1,000 alumni in Africa (follow Sciences Po Alumni Cercle Afrique here). We are fortunate to benefit from an important partnership with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, which provides Scholarship enabling students from the continent to join Sciences Po's graduate programmes.