Intra Africa Academic Mobility Scheme kick off meeting April 2026

Brussels April 2026“

"Can you do an energizer?” The request came from the conference organisers ICF Next looking at the show flow and start of day two. Distinguished speakers were scheduled to make their opening remarks from 0930 but there was an awkward 15-minute gap before. A lacuna in the programme where the coffee and registration end and the participants are in the room. The audience is often a little weary on day two. How to wake them up and get their attention?

I confess I consulted Chat GPT: “Can you suggest an energizer for a conference with African participants?” I was not impressed with the answers which seemed to be loaded with stereotypes about Africans loving to sing and dance.  The suggestions of getting everyone to do a dance routine was not appropriate for this event.

I’m naturally curious. I knew there were representatives from 44 countries, with 29 from Africa. 5 countries, Burundi, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan, were first time participants in the Intra Africa Academic Mobility Scheme. I also knew that some countries had many more institutions taking part in the scheme.

So in the end I decided on a simple fact-finding exercise, asking who was in the room. “Is anyone here from Burundi”? A lady at the back stood up and the 250 participants broke into applause. After welcoming the final newcomer South Sudan, I asked if anyone was from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa all countries I knew where the largest groups of participants had come from.  The room echoed with laughter after I remarked that the delegates from the same country did not know each other.  Then I named countries randomly but alphabetically: Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Namibia, Senegal. Zambia, Zimbabwe.

At tables around the room participants from the above countries stood up to the sound of clapping.

The energizer was going better than expected but there was still a couple of minutes to fill.

“Is there anyone in the room from a country I haven’t named?” I asked.

A solitary figure stood up, “Togo!” they shouted. Applause again from the crowd.

“DRC” chimed in another.

“Rwanda!” “Cote D’Ivoire!” Imagine the sound of nearly 250 people in the room applauding and cheering.

What a privilege to be there with top scientists from 74 institutions across Africa. All collaborating with the European Commission to advance higher education and mobility and accelerate the Green Transition in Africa.