The attendants come from the Universities members of AMENET Network. Students and researchers from other institutions are welcome.

Lecturers belong to the University of Ghana, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, University of Peloponnese, University of Bradford (all of them AMENET members), and other International Organizations specialized in climate change issues.

Teaching will be given in English.

Success in Regional Integration between Africa, Mediterranean and the European Union (AME) has been a long-standing desire. However, very few success stories can be outlined with the benefits more skewed to the European Union as a result of diverse challenges such as unequal trade relations, lack of trans-border infrastructures, tariff and non-tariff customs barriers, weak investment security, among others.

This situation is bound to worsen with COVID-19. Today what is being observed is a situation where each country in AME is focusing on how to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19 leaning more towards inward-looking policies at the expense of outward-looking policies that would allow these countries to gain more from trade as well as enjoy the benefits of integration. 

Post COVID-19 management of regional integration and the overall implementation of the sustainable development agenda will require intense collaboration between countries to enhance the gains from trade and regional integration.  Specifically, the inward-looking strategy that COVID-19 has brought about will surely not be the best way to go. 

Currently, most economies are in a recession. The knowledge and resources to reverse the current state of the economy are not farfetched but require that priority be given to mainstream sustainable development.  Policy-focus by AME countries should ensure that growth and development are pro-poor taking into consideration the environmental implication and the need to ensure effective collaboration and integration of AME countries. For this to happen, it will be necessary to find the most suitable growth path: a policy to foster the integration of AME countries whilst dealing with the economic and social consequences of Covid-19. It is only through such a policy that the global agenda of sustainable development will be achieved.

MAIN GOAL

This conference aims to harness ideas on how to revive AME economies in an environmentally sustainable manner by getting experts to discuss and evaluate the impact of the pandemic on economic growth and development as well as options for ensuring growth, development and regional integration post-COVID -19.  

We are therefore kindly calling for contributions aimed at providing insights on the following, but not limited to these indicative themes:

1. Impact of COVID-19 on the environment 
2. Efficient natural resource exploitation in an era of COVID-19
3. Climate change adaptation and city resilience
4. Energy consumption, the environment and sustainable development; before and after COVID – 19
5. International trade and the environment post-COVID-19
6. Educational reforms in the context of COVID-19: challenges and prospects 
7. ICT deployment for transformational growth post-COVID-19
8. Vulnerabilities: Socio-cultural, health, poverty and inequality issues, 
9. Small, medium and large scale firm resilience and employee dynamism in the COVID-19 era and beyond 
10. Tourism, transport and the hospitality industry in an era of  COVID–19
11. Regional integrations, grant and support packages for developing countries
12. Investment and industrial diversification in different sectors  of activity
13. Monetary and fiscal policies, 
14. Internal and external migration

DISCLAIMER:

Any communication or publication related to this action, made by the beneficiaries in any form and using any means, reflects only the author's view and the European Commission and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.