Location

Truhlsen Events Center within the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education
Corner of 42nd Street and Emile Street
University Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198

Schedule

Africa Summit 2019 is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am and to finish around 2:30 pm on Thursday, March 28, 2019. A more complete schedule will be posted here in the coming weeks.

Overview

The University of Nebraska and the University of Nebraska Medical Center will convene Africa Summit 2019 on Thursday March 28, 2019 in the Truhlsen Events Center, first floor of the Michael Sorrell Center, on the UNMC campus. This Summit is intended to provide a forum for information-sharing and collaboration among faculty, staff and graduate students across the four University of Nebraska campuses who have interest in any country or region of Africa, including research, teaching or other forms of engagement with individuals, educational institutions, governments, or the private sector.

The Senior International Officers for the four NU campuses—Dr. Tim Burkink at UNK, Mr. Josh Davis at UNL, Dr. Jane Meza and Mr. Bruce Grogan at UNMC and UNO and Dr. Steven Duke in NU Central Administration are involved in planning and implementing this Summit. A steering committee representing all four NU campuses is also assisting in the planning.

With 1.2 billion inhabitants spread across 55 countries, the continent of Africa is a dynamic part of the world. NU faculty, staff and students have been interacting with people across Africa for decades, and NU engagements in Africa are rapidly expanding. However, NU employees often find it hard to stay up to date on other NU engagements in Africa. This first annual Africa Summit is intended to help NU faculty, staff and graduate students meet each other, learn about other projects or research taking place in Africa and identify ways to work together synergistically to enhance the University’s engagements with and in Africa.

The panel presentations will be streamed live for those unable to travel to Omaha.

Summit Objectives

The goals for the Africa Summit 2019 included the following:

• Enable faculty, staff and graduate students across the University of Nebraska who have expertise or interest in Africa to meet each other and become acquainted with each other’s expertise and/or research.
• Identify one or more funding priorities or projects for which NU faculty, staff or graduate students could compete for funding.
• Identify possible networks or teams of people across multiple NU campuses who might collaborate on research projects, serve as specialists in courses or research or otherwise share their expertise with others across NU.
• Enhance the university’s international collaborations and global engagement.
• Identify individuals and resources that may be useful to those teaching about or conducting research in or about Africa.