Students and academic staff from the Department of International Relations, History and Philosophy at Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy (BKNUC) participated in the second analytical and research roundtable discussion, “Africa 2050: Scenarios for the Continent’s Development and Their Impact on International Relations”, organised as part of a joint initiative by the Ukrainian-Gulf Cooperation Platform (UGCP) and the NGO Diplomacy in Action.

The event featured a series of discussion panels.

The opening discussion focused on long-term trends that will shape Africa’s political, economic, and security role in the international system by 2050.

Participants examined the interplay between demographic trends, economic development, and the growing political agency of African states, as well as the conditions required to turn demographic potential into a tangible economic and political asset. Particular attention was paid to economic integration, including the prospects for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the development of the domestic market and manufacturing capacity, and the transition from a resource-based economy to a more diversified one.

The first session featured Volodymyr Khomanets, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Tunisia and, concurrently, to the State of Libya; Marta Oliinyk-Diomochko, an African studies researcher and Senior Lecturer at the Kyiv-Mohyla School of Professional and Continuing Education (kma.pro); and other roundtable participants. The combination of diplomatic experience, academic expertise, and the perspectives of young researchers facilitated a comprehensive exploration of potential development scenarios for the continent.

The second thematic session focused on strategic communications and the institutional capacity of the state. Discussions addressed the role of government communication in policy development and implementation, coordination of communication between institutions, the division of responsibilities, and the balance between a unified strategic framework and the specific needs of individual government bodies.

Particular attention was also paid to the readiness of Ukraine’s strategic communications system to address the challenges of the coming decade, including the development of artificial intelligence, transformations in the information environment, and the spread of information operations.

The Educational-Scientific Institute of International Relations, History and Philosophy