Hasan Kalyoncu University hosted the fourth Africa Conference, which aims to build strong bridges with African academics and academics who study Africa, to establish positive relations based on knowledge and equity that respect human sensitivities, and to foster a better understanding of Africa. The conference was held in person and online with the participation of academics, bureaucrats, business people, diplomats and students interested in Africa. At the 4th Africa Conference, organised in cooperation with the Development Studies Application and Research Centre and the Africa Studies Application and Research Centre, both operating at HKU, topics such as Türkiye-Africa economic relations, international power competition in Africa, democratisation, development and trade were opened for discussion.
It is important to approach Africa from multiple dimensions
In his opening speech, HKU Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli said that Africa has had to struggle against various difficulties for many years but that the continent should not be known only for such experiences. He stated: “The African continent has been the cradle of the world’s oldest civilisations. The continent has very rich underground resources. As can be seen in the example of South Africa, the continent is already home to some of the fastest-growing economies. The continent stands out with its cultural diversity and richness. It also continues to serve as the natural habitat of many animal and plant species that still live in the world today. The continent also has a rich architectural and artistic heritage nourished by different cultures. Africa has a very strong diaspora, especially in Western countries. At this point, it would not be an exaggeration to say that ‘Africa is not only Africa’. Therefore, it is very important to develop a multidimensional perspective when talking about Africa.”
Türkiye – Africa relations are developing rapidly
In his presentation, Prof. Dr. M. Hanifi Aslan, Director of the HKU Development Studies Application and Research Centre, noted that Türkiye – Africa relations have developed in recent years and gained very significant momentum. Sharing numerical data on Africa’s growth rates and saying that Africa’s average growth rate is 3.7%, Prof. Dr. Hanifi Aslan stated that the inequality in Africa’s income distribution has begun to take an increasingly fairer form.
The image of Africa must be rebuilt
Asst. Prof. Dr. Bilal Ulusoy, Director of the HKU Africa Studies Application and Research Centre, in his welcoming speech, provided information about the centre’s activities and assessed the possibilities of rebuilding the image of Africa.
The IMF’s Africa policy was evaluated
The keynote speaker of the conference, Dr. Burcu Aydın Özüdoğru, former Director General of Revenue at the Ministry of Finance and Advisor at the IMF (International Monetary Fund), provided information in her presentation on Africa’s development dynamics, the IMF’s policies towards Africa and the vaccination efforts carried out in Africa during the current pandemic period.
Five separate panels were held
After the opening speeches, the panel sessions began. The conference featured five complementary panels titled “Colonisation in Africa”, “Poverty and Democracy”, “The Difficult Quest for Development in Africa”, “Competition of External Powers in Africa”, “Turkish–African Relations” and “Business Experiences and Perspectives in Africa”.
“We” through African eyes
At the end of the conference, where Africa was evaluated from every angle and important points concerning the African continent were put on the table, the awards of the winners of the photography contest “We Through African Eyes”, organised under the leadership of the HKU Africa Studies Application and Research Centre to gain an idea of how Africans see Turkish society, were presented by HKU Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli. In the contest, in which 30 Africans from different provinces and professions of Türkiye applied with their photographs, Jihane Gharyeni won both the first and second prizes with her submitted photographs, and shared the second prize she earned with Salaheldeen Abdeltawab from Egypt. Abdellahi Mohamed Moustapha received the third prize. In the contest, organised under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Bülent Bahri Küçükerdoğan, faculty member of the Faculty of Communication, a total of 4 photographs received awards, while 11 photographs were deemed worthy of being exhibited as part of the jury selection.
