Environmental Cooperation: New Models for Sustainable Development Between Europe and Africa. Outcomes of the AfricaConnect Symposium
More than one hundred participants attended the international symposium organized by the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies to discuss the role of interdisciplinary research in sustainable development and to present two new projects funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and coordinated by the School.
More than 100 participants and 37 speakers from Italy and several African countries took part in the international symposium Environmental Cooperation in a Changing World: New Paradigms from Africa, organized by the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa as part of the AfricaConnect project. The event reaffirmed the central role of scientific cooperation between Africa and Italy in shaping new models for sustainable development.
Held in Pisa on 9–10 July, the symposium brought together researchers, policymakers, and representatives of civil society from diverse backgrounds, marking a strengthened partnership between universities and institutions engaged in environmental cooperation between Italy and Africa. Among the keynote speakers were Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS); Gemedo Dalle Tussie, former Ethiopian Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Carlo Fadda, Research Director at CGIAR; Isayvani Naicker, Strategic Director of the African Academy of Sciences; and Nicola Vitiello, Rector of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies.
The symposium featured four thematic sessions and a roundtable discussion. The sessions explored both the challenges and the opportunities within the framework of environmental cooperation, providing academics, NGO representatives, and development cooperation experts with an opportunity to discuss cutting-edge research topics while sharing experiences and success stories from across Africa, Italy, and other regions of the world.
Agronomic Sustainability and Access to Healthcare: Two New Projects Coordinated by the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies
The symposium also provided the opportunity to present two new projects coordinated by the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies. Funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the initiatives are included among the strategic actions of Italy’s Mattei Plan.
The CAAM-Produzione project will promote the sustainable development of agricultural systems in Mozambique’s Manica Province. Bringing together experts in agronomy, economics, plant genetics, and political science, the project aims to reach more than 5,000 farmers and establish the region as a model for sustainable innovation in agricultural systems.
The second project, SONGON, seeks to strengthen access to, quality of, and integration among healthcare services for a population of approximately 90,000 people in Côte d’Ivoire, with a particular focus on maternal and child health. Both projects will run for three years, starting in 2026, and place strong emphasis on the active involvement of local experts and authorities.
