140 Years Beyond the Berlin Conference

Dates:
Friday 12 December 2025 (5 pm–8 pm)
Saturday 13 December 2025 (10 am–5 pm)

Location: SOAS, University of London

• Friday: Khalili Lecture Theatre (KLT)

• Saturday: Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre (BGLT)

Overview:
AFFORD, in partnership with the SOAS Centre of African Studies, the Centre for Pan-African Studies, the Fatherland Group, and The Africa Centre, invites you to 140 Years Beyond the Berlin Conference — a two-day symposium examining the enduring legacy of the 1884–85 Berlin Conference and its impact on Africa today.

Through lectures, panel discussions, and strategic conversations, leading historians, policymakers, activists, and cultural thinkers will reflect on Berlin's historical context, explore the political and ecological consequences of colonialism, and imagine pathways toward a liberated African future.

Day 1 Highlights – Friday 12 December (KLT, 5 pm):

• Welcome remarks by Professor Penelope Corfield

• Keynote Lecture by Professor Alan Lester: The Berlin Conference in the Context of European Colonisation in Africa

• Lecture by Dele Ogun: What They Discussed at Berlin 1884–1885

• Panel discussion and audience Q&A

Day 2 – Saturday 13 December (BGLT, 10 am–5 pm):
A full day of talks and discussions led by distinguished scholars, practitioners and community leaders exploring the past, present, and future of Africa’s global position.

Confirmed Speakers Include:
Professor Alan Lester, Professor Hakim Adi, Professor Penelope Corfield, Dr Esteban Alfaro Salas, Marie Rodet, Onyekachi Wambu, Arunma Oteh, Dominique D. Calhoun, Dr Biki Minyuku, Tim Modu, Olu Alake, Dele Ogun, Nels Abbey.

Tickets:
£10 for both days.
Free for students, postgraduate researchers, and academics.

Registration:
Book via Eventbrite: Link in listing

Who Should Attend:
Anyone interested in African history, decolonisation, geopolitics, development, or contemporary African futures.

Media Enquiries:

• Onyekachi Wambu (AFFORD): [email protected]

• Dr Ida Hadjivayanis (SOAS CAS): [email protected]

• Dele Ogun (Fatherland Group): [email protected]