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KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Scholars and policymakers from around the globe will be on the É«É«À² Michigan University campus this week to present their research and solutions related to sustainable development for African nations. 

The group will be making their presentations at the 10th International Conference on African Development, set for Friday and Saturday, Aug. 17-18, in the Bernhard Center. This year's conference topic is "State of African Economies in the 21st Century: Critical Issues of Education, Health, Governance, Conflict, and Food and Water Security."

Registration for the event begins at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The cost of admission is $50 for the entire conference; student admission is free

The International Conference on African Development is held biennially, with the location alternating between É«É«À² and Ethiopia. Its primary purpose is to provide people with a better understanding of cultural, political and socio-economic development in Africa. At É«É«À², the event is hosted by the Center for African Development Policy Research in É«É«À²'s Haenicke Institute for Global Education.

"We should not isolate ourselves from the world; it is wrong to retreat into ourselves," says Dr. Sisay Asefa, director of the É«É«À² center. "We have to observe the world in a positive way without imposing our culture."

Problems facing North Africa, especially Ethiopia, will be the main focus of the conference. Participating speakers will be comprised of U.S. and international scholars on Ethiopian economics, politics, education, biological sciences, business, philosophy and engineering.

Keynote Presentations

Dr. Mammo Muchie, a research professor of innovation studies at Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa, will speak Friday on "Bring Back Ethiopianism Philosophy in Indigenize Ethiopia's High-Quality Education System." Muchie earned a doctoral degree in science, technology and innovation for development from the University of Sussex.

Dr. Abebe Haregewoin, an Ethiopian physician, will speak Saturday on "What Can 'a-Dollar-a-Day' Diaspora Fund, That Newly Elected Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed Established, Accomplish in Ethiopia?" Haregewoin trained in radiation oncology at Harvard Medical School and earned a doctoral degree in immunology from the University of Oslo.

Center for African Development Policy Research

The Center for African Development Policy Research is an interdisciplinary academic program at É«É«À² that was established by Dr. Sisay Asefa in 2000 as the University's first international academic center in the human and social sciences. A joint program of the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Economics and the Haenicke Institute for Global Education, it fosters academic research by promoting collaboration between faculty and students from various É«É«À² colleges and departments with an interest in Africa. The center also sponsors and organizes lectures, conferences, seminars, workshops and other special events that enhance global understanding of African nations.

Learn more about the International Conference on African Development.

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