Hamburg, 26/08/2026: With the global economy locked in prolonged crisis, African households confront deepening uncertainty over supply and economic prospects, even as international support and German development cooperation retreat under budget cuts.
Decentralised infrastructure is emerging as a core precondition for development, above all in rural areas, where affordable access to water and renewable electricity rests on robust technologies, socially sensitive financing, and local acceptance.
These concerns frame the first joint interdisciplinary conference on 11/09/2026 of the University of Hamburg’s African Studies department and the Centre for Business and Technology in Africa (CBTA) at Hochschule Flensburg. Co-organised by the CBTA and convened by its Director, Prof. Kay Pfaffenberger, the event also features a guest contribution by Prof. Stefan Liebing, placing the Centre within an evolving debate on long-term Germany-Africa cooperation.
Program and registration: https://www.conferences.uni-hamburg.de/event/751/overview
