FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF AMENET, OCTOBER 2021 (ONLINE)

On October 28th and 29th, 2021, the Fourth International Conference of AMENET Network entitled “Intégration économique à l’ère post-Covid-19, quels nouveaux défis pour les pays d’Afrique, la Mediterranée et l’Union Européenne. Gouvernance, institutions et politiques pour la transition énergétique, numérique et le développement durable”, was held online.

Irene Martín, Vice-rector for Internationalisation of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, chaired the opening ceremony. The opening was also attended by Olga Cabarga, Ambassador of Spain in Senegal; Jamal Eddine Benhayoun, Vice-rector for Academic Affairs of the Université Abdelmalek Essaâdi (Morocco); Joanita Cristina Rodrigues, Rector of the Universidade Jean Piaget de Cabo Verde; Carmelo León González, Director of the Instituto de Turismo de la Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Daniel Ngoy Boliya, Rector of the Université Protestante au Congo (R.D. Congo); Mohamed Awa, Vice-rector of the Université de Nouakchott Al-Aasriya; Joseph Wasso Misona, Rector of the Université Libre des Pays de Grands Lacs (Goma, R.D. Congo) and José M. Mella, Lead Partner of the AMENET Jean Monnet Network, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain).

The opening session was followed by the Round Table “Le Sénégal, l’Espagne et l’Union Européenne renforcent leur coopération : Commerce et investissements”, during which authorities, businessmen and academics shared their views and experiences on the relations and activities between Senegal, Spain and the European Union, as an example of the possibilities of cooperation between Europe and Africa. The Round Table was chaired by Alberto Virella, Ambassador at large for the Spanish Africa Plan, and Mariame Sy, Ambassador of Senegal in Spain.

During this two-day conference, more than 150 participants from different African and European universities, presented their researches and shared their ideas and results with other colleagues working in similar lines of investigation. The discussions took place in different parallel sessions defined by following topics:

1. 1. Governance, Institutions and Policies for Sustainable Development in the Post-Covid-19 era;
   2. Efficient use of natural resources in the post-Covid-19 era;
   3. Climate change adaptation and urban and rural resilience;
   4. Energy consumption, environment and sustainable development; before and after COVID-19;
   5. International trade and investment after COVID-19 in the context of the African economic integration process. What are the effects on the ongoing processes of economic globalisation and regionalisation?
   6. Reforms in education, especially those affecting children in the context of COVID-19: challenges and prospects;
   7. What are the new challenges for public health policy at different scales (global, regional, national and local)?
   8. ICTs deployment in various fields such as education, work, health, etc. for structural growth after COVID-19;
   9. Vulnerabilities: socio-cultural, health, poverty and inequality issues;
   10. Resilience of small, medium and large enterprises and employment dynamics in the COVID-19 era and beyond;
   11. Tourism, transport and the hospitality industry in the COVID-19 era;
   12. Regional integration, subsidies and support programs for countries with competitive and developmental difficulties;
   13. Which sectors have benefited or suffered losses from the Covid-19 health crisis; in what forms and in what ways? What new approaches to industrial policy in terms of economic integration of value chains and geopolitics in different sectors?
   14. Monetary and fiscal policies in the post-Covid-19 era;
   15. Internal and external migration. What changes in migration flows in the Post-Covid-19 era?