Kiel-CEPR-World Bank African Economic Development Conference

The Kiel-CEPR-World Bank African Economic Development Conference (AEDC) brings together leading researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners to explore the key drivers of Africa’s economic transformation.

Organized by the World Bank Group Institute for Economic Development, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, and the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), in collaboration with the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), the Bank of Italy, and the African School of Economics, the conference creates a unique platform where frontier research and policy dialogue intersect.

Hosted in Rome, Italy, AEDC aims to foster evidence-based discussions on some of the continent’s most pressing development challenges, with a particular focus on how regional integration can support sustained and inclusive growth. Through academic presentations, keynote addresses, and high-level policy panels, the conference seeks to strengthen the connection between rigorous analysis and practical policymaking.

CALL FOR PAPERS

The organizing committee invites submissions of full research papers on any issue pertaining to regional integration and economic development in Africa. Topics of particular interest include:

• Regional and Global Value Chains
• Cross-Border Infrastructure and Connectivity
• Intra-African Investment and Capital Flows
• Sustainability, Energy and the Green Transition
• Labor Mobility and Migration
• Industrial Policy, Growth and Structural Transformation
• Political Economy of Regional Institutions
• Digitalization and AI

Submission deadline: September 15, 2026. Visit the Call for Papers page for more details and submission instructions.