Symposium On African Higher Education

The Symposium on African Higher Education (SAHE) 2027 invites scholars, students, practitioners, policymakers, institutional leaders, and community partners to examine how higher education across the continent is being (re)shaped by changing social, economic, technological, ecological, and political conditions.

Hosted by Ohio University in Athens, OH and on Microsoft Teams, SAHE invites submissions for research paper and practitioner perspective proposals. Proposals can be submitted for both in-person and online formats.

 

Submit a Proposal

Important Dates

Mark your calendar for the following program updates and deadlines.
ActionDate
Call opens

October 15, 2026

Abstract submission deadline

December 15, 2026

Notification of decisions

January 15, 2027

Program published

February 20, 2027

Symposium date

April 9, 2027

 

Program Formats

There are two types of programs for SAHE 2027
FormatDescription
Research PaperA 15-minute research, conceptual, methodological, or policy paper presentation.
Practice SessionA 30-minute engaging presentation for emerging scholars and practitioners focused on practitioner perspectives on African higher education, preferably with an interactive component.

Program Theme and Submission Details

Program submissions should be aligned to the following call.

African higher education initiatives in the 21st century aim to widen participation, build partnerships through research, prepare graduates for growing economies, and respond to digital and ecological transitions. Looking toward higher education futures requires creativity and pragmatism to achieve collective goals while simultaneously negotiating unequal resource environments. SAHE 2027 invites scholarship that interrogates these tensions and imagines context-responsive possibilities.

We welcome empirical, conceptual, methodological, policy, practice-based, and creative submissions for this one-day gathering of interested higher education leaders and scholars. We encourage submissions that move beyond description to analyze power, context, implementation, and the possibilities for institutional and societal transformation. 

Contributors may locate their work in one of the following conceptual areas or connect several topics related to African higher education. Suggested topics include:

  • Curriculum relevance, employability, and lifelong learning
  • Access, equity, and student success
  • Funding, austerity, and institutional futures
  • Decolonizing the university and reclaiming African knowledges
  • Single-nation or multinational educational systems analysis, including regional coordination, accreditation processes, and quality assurance
  • Digital transformation, AI, and teaching futures
  • Democracy, peace, and social transformation through higher education
  • Regional integration, mobility and internationalization
  • Governance, leadership, academic labor, and academic freedom
  • Research, innovation, and knowledge production
  • Climate change, sustainability, and resilient universities
  • Additional topics aligned with multinational goal structures, including African Union Agenda 2063 or the UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Youth sports development in Africa

Submit a Proposal

Agenda

Event agenda and session details
TimeSessionDetails
9–9:30 a.m.Check-in, Coffee, and MingleArrive, check in, grab a cup of coffee and connect with colleagues.
9:30–10:30 a.m.Symposium Welcome and Keynote

Welcome to SAHE 2027 and keynote address by featured speaker.

 

10:30–10:45 a.m.Break 
10:45–11:15 a.m.Session #1First block of presentation sessions, including hybrid options for remote participants.
11:30 a.m.– NoonSession #2Second block of presentation sessions, including hybrid options for remote participants.
Noon–1:15 p.m.Lunch and Networking 
1:15–1:45 p.m.Session #3Third block of presentation sessions, fully in-person.
2-2:30p.m.Session #4Fourth block of presentation sessions, fully in-person.
2:45-3:15p.m.Session #5Fifth block of presentation sessions, fully in-person.
3:30-4p.m.ClosingClosing speaker remarks and adjourning of the SAHE 2027 Symposium.