The Insular Territories of the African Atlantic: Culture, Environment, and Global Health
13th - 16th July
pdf Full 2024 Programme (1.61 MB)
Objectives
- Creating a forum for specialized reflection on Africa's challenges within the framework of the current globalisation process.
- Offering a meeting space for academics, entrepreneurs and professionals involved in strategic development and cooperation with Africa.
- Supplying advanced training applied to problems related to African sustainable development.
- Fostering leadership skills amongst youngsters
- Boosting the role of the Macaronesian region as a relevant geo-strategic space regarding international scientific cooperation.
Preparing the Future
The future cannot be predicted, but it can be prepared for. Since the beginning of this century, various world leaders and global organizations have advocated that anticipation, prevention, reflection, and prospective action are absolute imperatives in our times. Today, ‘protecting is not enough; we need to prepare for the future’ (UNESCO, A New World, 2000).
Science plays a fundamental role in preparing for the future. On numerous occasions, the United Nations has emphasized the value of science, technology, and innovation for societal progress. They encourage innovative development of clean and more efficient technologies, highlight the need to boost scientific capabilities, and advocate for inclusive and open access to science across all countries and social sectors. Sustainable development is inconceivable without science.
This spirit drives Campus África, an international program hosted by the University of La Laguna and managed by the Canarian Foundation for the Control of Tropical Diseases (FUNCCET). Through this initiative, the oldest university in the African Atlantic region aims to collaborate with scientific and higher education institutions in both the African and Atlantic contexts, fostering a dynamic knowledge-sharing community.
The CampusÁFRICA 2024 educational program is centered around the theme of “The Insular Territories of the African Atlantic: Culture, Environment, and Global Health.” Contrary to the notion of isolation often associated with insular regions, the islands of West Africa have historically served as crossroads for human cultural interaction—sometimes peaceful, sometimes not—among explorers, settlers, pirates, merchants, slaves, travelers, tourists, and migrants. Today, these islands face similar challenges stemming from climate change, pandemic threats, economic and social inequalities, and the erosion of their biological diversity and cultural traditions.
Among all the possible locations for Campus África in the Canary Islands, none is better suited than the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna on the island of Tenerife. Founded in 1496, La Laguna has been included in UNESCO’s global network, recognizing its diverse cultural and historical heritage, rich university tradition, and its privileged natural environment. Once again, La Laguna lives up to its international vocation and honors the definition given by the poet Antonio de Viana four centuries ago as the “city of work, study, and science”.
