AISA, Multimedia University, Kenya mull Africa’s past, present and future development in 2026 confab
By Editor
THE African Interdisciplinary Studies Association (AISA) and Multimedia University of Kenya have put out a call for abstracts and proposals for the 17th International Interdisciplinary Conference, scheduled to be held in Nairobi, Kenya from June 17 — 19 2026 at Multimedia University of Kenya (online and in-person options) under the general conference theme ‘The Past, Present and Future of Development in Africa’. The conference is sponsored by Multimedia University of Kenya, Kenya Scholars and Studies Association (KESSA), Centre for Democracy, Research and Development (CEDRED) and African Interdisciplinary Studies Association (AISA). The conference has 20 wide ranging colloquia that scholars can take advantage to present papers. A full line up of all colloquiums can be obtained from the conference organisers’ website and email addressed stated below.
According to a statement by the organisers, “The past, present and future of development in Africa is of concern to many disciplines because of numerous changes taking place in the world today. Climate change, cosmopolitanism, new identities, hybridization, hybridity, gender, race, ethnicity and space are affecting development. Some of the changes and what causes them are being disputed. For example, many conservatives in the world do not believe that climate change is taking place with harmful effects on the universe, and their denial is creating disagreements and disputes.
“Similarly, rapid urbanization, migration, radicalization, terrorism, new genocides, wars and economic competition are creating tensions in the world space, affecting how people relate to each other. We invite critical and research papers for the 2026 conference, hoping that the conference will provide an opportunity for scholars from Africa and outside to share their research on Africa’s past, present and future. We encourage senior scholars, junior scholars and students to submit abstracts for the conference which we anticipate will surpass the 1,000 record we established in the pre-Covid-19 era, with the support of everyone.”
The conference will bring together scholars from all over the world to make presentations on matters that touch on research and development in Africa. Send abstracts of between 250 and 300 words, including full contact details (title, name, address, email-address, and telephone) as well as institutional affiliation by March 30 2026 to Prof. Maurice N. Amutabi and Prof. (Eng) Abel Mayaka at mauriceamutabi@gmail.com or neddylinnet@gmail.com or Amutabi@yahoo.com or Amutabi@gmail.com or centrefordrd@gmail.com or amayaka@mmu.ac.ke. The deadline for submission of full papers or PowerPoint presentation (one of them is adequate) is May 25, 2026. Most papers presented at the conference will be selected and published in peer-reviewed edited volumes and journals – Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies (JAIS) and Journal of Popular Education in Africa (JOPEA), – affiliated to African Interdisciplinary Studies Association (AISA) and the Centre for Democracy, Research and Development (CEDRED), based in Nairobi, Kenya. Each person is allowed to submit a maximum of 3 papers. We encourage authors of papers not to have too many authors. The official language of the conference is English. The conference will consist of twenty colloquia organized along relevant themes.
Deadline for submission of abstracts – March 30, 2026. Deadline for submission of PowerPoint presentation or full papers May 25, 2026. The first book will come out starting April 30, 2026 for early papers submitted. Registration fees for staff from East African Universities and organizations (in-person presentation) are US$50 and (KES 5,000) while online presentation attracts US$40 and (KES. 4,000). The rest of Africa (in-person) is US$60 and online presentation is US$50, the rest of the World – Europe, North America, Asia, in-person presentation is US$80 while exhibition and advertising stand for books (bookshops), clothes and other items is US$50. Payment enquiries should be directed to the emails above.
The first colloquium focuses on ‘Development, Climate Change, Climate Resilience and Blue Economy in the World’ and has as sub-themes such as the past, present and future of development, Sovereignty, Destabilization, Climate change, Alliances, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blue Economy and Development, Contestation, Resistance, accelerating climate action, building resilience, or fostering collaboration for a sustainable development, Climate Action and Emerging Challenges, Global Environmental Change and New World Order, Gender, Race and Hegemony in Climate change debates, framework for the Advancement of Inclusion, Equity, and Justice in the Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise for Vulnerable and Special Populations, Blue Economy, Coastal Communities, Coastal Information Needs through Tailored Scientific Assessment and Sustainable Development and Future of AI, Weather-Water-Climate Value Chain(s): Giving VOICE to the Characterization of the Economic Benefits of Hydro-Met Services, Products and Services.
Others are the Intersection of Socioeconomic Status & Climate Change Risks & Hazards in the World Waters, Oceans, Seas, Lakes, Rivers and Streams, Government, Communities, Societal Benefits in Weather, Water, and Climate, Transport, Communication and Security of Marine and Other Resources, Addressing Global Climate Change for a Sustainable Future, Cardon Credits, Cardon Sinks, Water Towers, Degradation, Major Forests and Major Basins and Harnessing Science and Technology for National Benefit, Global Warming, Managing Climate Disasters, Floods, Drought, Hurricane, Monsoon, Preparation & Response at National, Regional and Other Levels, Responding to Climate Predictions, Space Weather and Aviation, Satellite Navigation, Space Weather, Policing and Militarization, Scramble for Water Landscape of the World and New Water Conflicts and Global Peace and Security, Desertification, Rangelands, Pastoralists, Nomads and Climate Change, AI, Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Change Industry, Myths, Realities and Challenges, AI, Climate Change, Movements, Migration, Refugees, World Climate and Implications on Development, Scarcities, Organic Farming, Water Conflicts and Strategic Management of Fresh Water Resources, GMOs and Governments, Regional Bodies, UN, NGOs and Faith-Based Organizations on Climate
Change and Climate Mitigation and the West and East and Africa’s Development choices, assessing good development and bad development choices in Africa.
The second colloquium is based on ‘Business, Economics and Strategic Resource Utilization’ and has sub-themes such as The past, present and future of Development Opportunities, Great Business, Small and Medium Enterprises, Global Finance, Commerce, e-Commerce and e-Banking, Sectors of Development, Business Branding, Rebranding, Sustainability and Shaping the Future of Development, Africa’s development priorities, Trade Marks, Patents, Innovation, Technology and Embracing the Digital Age, Wellness and Work-Life Balance, Prioritizing Employee Health and Productivity, Diversity, Inclusion & Building Stronger, More Dynamic Teams and Economies; Green energy and environmentally friendly choices in development, Leadership, Governance, Management, Strategies for Success in a Rapidly Changing World, Global Trends in Customer Experience, Enhancing Engagement, Satisfaction, After Sale Service and Follow Up and Customer Retention, Global Economic Trends, Cultivating Loyalty, Navigating Uncertainty and Opportunities, Industry-Specific Insights: Tailoring Conferences to Unique Business Sectors, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Business Automation, Cybersecurity, Data Rights and Protecting Data in a Digital World, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Creating an Inclusive Workplace, Health Tourism, Wellness, Insurance, Gyms, Fitness Clubs, Workplace Welfare, Promoting a Healthy Working Environment, Business Start Ups, Small and Medium Enterprises, Entrepreneurial Mindset, Cultivating Innovation, Business Growth and Incubation Hubs, Business Expansion, Networking, Collaboration and Creating Business Connections and Networks, Banking, Financial Management, Savings, Shareholders, Strategies for Sustaining Growth and Stability, E-Marketing, Advertising, Labeling, Brand Recognition and Presence, Business and Innovation, Discovery, Creativity and Next and Future Great Ideas.
Others are Effects and Impact of Race, Class, Gender and Ethnicity in Human Resources Evolution, Merit and Talent Management, Rights, Remuneration, Labour Movement, Crisis Management and Business Arbitration, Business Innovation, Leadership Resilience, Challenges, Adversity, Tariffs and Unfair Competition, Procurement, Supply Chain Optimization, Efficiency and Flexibility, The Age of Malls, Super Markets, Resort Cities, Mega Cities, Sports Cities and Spas, Ecommerce and Retail Innovation, and Social Media and Digital Consumer, E-currency, Soft Currency, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, Innovations in Digital and Soft Economy, Business Betting, Gambling, Reward Points, Customer Loyalty and Retention Programs, and Strategies for Long-Term Engagement, Business Education and Business Schools and Workforce of Tomorrow, Global Business and Commerce, Global Workforce and Cross-Cultural Challenges, Corporate Social Responsibility, Giving Back to Society and Balancing Profit with Purpose, Virtual Shopping, Personalized Consumer Experiences and Knowing and Catering to Individual Preferences and Choices, Mega Cities and Smart Cities, Future Livability and Online Business Regimes, Virtual Commerce, Data Analytics, AI and Business Intelligence and Remote Trading, Virtual Shops, Remote Team Management, and Blended Business Modes, E-commerce and Ethical Leadership, Decision-Making in Complex Times and AI, Global Conglomerates, MNCs, TMCs, Business Consortiums, Big Capital and Politics and Economics of Patents, Trademarks, Factories, Industries and Manufacturing and Sustainable Development and Business and Geopolitics, Globalism, Resource Tensions, BRICS and New Proposed Currency, European Union, NATO, NAFTA, ECOWAS, EAC and IGAD and World Security.
The third colloquium, ‘Education, other Social and Cultural Movements in Africa’ as sub-themes has The past, present and future of education, New Education modes and modes, Conservative and Progressive Voices in Education, Education, hybridization, hybridity and cosmopolitanism in developing countries, binaries in achievement between urban and rural schools, rich and poor neighbourhoods and hierarchies in schools, displaced and refugee populations and education, The Right and Left in Policy in education, Higher Education and Policymaking in the World, Leadership of quality in education, Higher education in developing countries, Enhancing Labour market relevance and outcomes through education, counseling in schools, career advising, World Bank and IMF on shunning higher education for mass education and lower levels, and TVETS, New Technologies, Originality, Learning for Sustainable Futures, Global Challenges for Education, Education and Language, Education and race, education and gender, in education, Competition in Education, Assessment and evaluation in education, Assessing the qualities of schools, colleges and universities, approaches to evaluation in higher education (program evaluation, case studies, responsive evaluation etc., measurement, assessment and evaluation in higher education, Pedagogical skills in new normal, Teaching Strategies For Quality Learning, Improving the quality of teaching, Students’ experiences, perceptions and expectations, Problem based learning in primary, secondary and higher education, Team-Based Collaboration in Higher Education Learning and Teaching, Arts based methods, Learning and Teaching for Sustainable Development – Curriculum, Cognition Context, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Online Learning and Teaching, technological advancements in ICT in education, student-centered learning based on ICT, educational tools for technology enhanced learning and distance education and learning, Professional Development, Education and Professional Development, Academic development and quality in higher education, qualifying and enrolment exams, mentoring, quality assurance and peer review process in teaching and professional growth, training and gate keeping in education, licensing of teachers and renewal of teaching permits, New education systems and development driven initiatives, tensions and graduate employability and skills mismatch, Education-industry relationship, Bridges between practice and theory, Role of local bodies (NGO, community, municipalities…), Recognition of non-formal and informal experiences (volunteering) and prior learning, Creativity in education, conceptualizing, Reimagining, Reorienting and Redistributing training needs, Inclusive Education Systems, futures, fallacies and finance, education Quantity, quality and Outcomes, Development through Education, Globalization and learning, The Changing Role of the State in Educational Development, Blended education models, home schooling, Education for empowerment, minorities, poor neighborhoods, religious schools and secular education, class and education, race and education, ethnicity and education and New Frontiers of Development Opportunities in Education, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Education, New Learning Approaches and Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Education, AI & STEM Education.
Others include AI and New Opportunities in Education – Personalized Learning Experiences; Artificial Intelligence for Teachers; Evaluation and Feedback; Accessibility and Inclusion, Advantages and disadvantages of AI in the Education Sector, The role of AI in predicting the learning status of students; Design of training processes with AI tools and processes, Gender, Age, Region, Race and Culture differences in the use of techno-pedagogical resources in Africa, Open and Distance Learning, Intelligent Virtual Reality-based learning systems, innovation in education and e-learning with digital transformation, Learning and Complex, Systems, Mode Recognition and Logic Program, Information Retrieval and Web Search, Distance Education, Distance Learning, Lifelong Learning, Future Education, Information Education, New Generations of Educational Technologies, Mobile Learning, Formal and Informal Learning, Nomadic People and mobile education, TVETS, New Education Opportunities through E-learning, Smart Learning Environment, Distributed learning environment, Instructional Design, Digital Evaluation, Educational, Multimedia, Blended Learning, Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), Global ethics, Education and Data mining, text mining and web mining in education, Simulation in learning, Intelligent Mentor System, Affective Computing in Education, Adaptive learning environment; Global Trends and Curriculum Development and New Pedagogies in Higher Education, Global Networks, Higher Education, Linkages, Research, Partnerships and Publishing, Education and Development sectors, Industry, Linkages, Exchange Programmes and Collaborations, Special Education, Education, ICT, teleconferencing, webinars, networking and e-Learning, Adult Education and Cooperative Education, Technical and Vocational Education, indigenous education and knowledge systems, Higher Education, Universities, African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), Graduate Training, University Repositories and anti-Plagiarism, University Ranking and Funding in Higher Education and Appraising the work of African Scholars: Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Ali Mazrui, , Bethuel . A Ogot, Daniel Sifuna, Toyin Falola, Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Kwame Anthony AppiahV. Y.Mudimbe, Achille Mbemcbe, Ifi Amadiume, Maria Nzomo, Catherine Odora Hoppers, Shirley Walters, Archie Mafeje, etc.
All general enquiries should be addressed to: Prof. Maurice N. Amutabi, (Convener and Prof. (Eng). Abel Mayaka (Co-convenor), Centre for Democracy, Research and Development (CEDRED), Nairobi, Kenya, P.O. Box 13447-00400, Nairobi, Kenya. E-mail: mauriceamutabi@gmail.com or neddylinnet@gmail.com or Amutabi@yahoo.com or
Amutabi@gmail.com, amayaka@mmu.ac.ke, abnmayaka@yahoo.com, or
centrefordrd@gmail.com or amayaka@mmu.ac.ke Website:
Call for Abstracts and Proposals for the 17th International Interdisciplinary Conference, to be held in Nairobi, Kenya on June 17-19 2026 at Multimedia University of Kenya (online and in-person options – Hybrid Platform)
