The Baobab Conference 2027

The Baobab Conference 2027 is a two-day multidisciplinary research conference convened by the Hiroshima University African Students Association (HUASA), under the theme African Research and Innovation for a Shared Future. It takes place on 21–22 February 2027 at Mirai Crea, Hiroshima University, and opens with an online symposium on 21 November 2026.

The conference brings African researchers working in Japan into conversation with one another, and with the universities, companies, public institutions and organisations that can help their research travel further.

Why Baobab?

Across many African settings, the baobab is a landmark and a place where community life gathers. It stands for rootedness, continuity, shared knowledge and the passing of experience between generations. That is the spirit of this conference: researchers from different countries, institutions and fields meeting in one place, with room for new relationships and ideas to grow.

Objectives

1. Provide a respected multidisciplinary platform for African graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty at universities in Japan to present and discuss their research.
2. Connect researchers across institutions and disciplines, and encourage academic exchange, mentorship and future research collaboration.
3. Create structured opportunities for dialogue between researchers and companies, government bodies, development organisations and other institutions interested in Africa-related knowledge and expertise.
4. Increase the visibility of African research and of the contribution African researchers make to research, innovation and collaboration in Japan and internationally.
5. Lay the foundations for a recurring conference and a wider network for Africa–Japan academic and professional engagement.

Connecting research with practice

Academic presentations are at the centre of the conference, but the value of research does not end when a talk is over. Findings can inform policy, help organisations understand a market or a community, and guide the design of services and technologies. African researchers in Japan often hold exactly the credible data and on-the-ground understanding that organisations working with Africa are looking for, so the conference puts these two groups in the same room on purpose.

Before the conference, participating organisations will be invited to name the topics, sectors or questions relevant to their work, and presenters will be invited to describe the practical relevance of their research and the kinds of collaboration they would welcome. The organising team will then arrange targeted introductions and short meetings in a research–industry matchmaking session.

What to expect

• Keynote addresses and panel discussions, including a panel on what Africa brings to Japan.
• Peer-reviewed oral and poster presentations across four academic tracks.
• Research–industry matchmaking, and industry and professional sessions in which companies and institutions explain the challenges they are working on.
• A funding and career clinic on research careers, scholarships, internships, funding and research partnerships.
• A diplomatic and networking session, and awards for the Best Student Oral Presentation and Best Student Poster.

Who takes part

We expect around 150 participants: African graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty from Hiroshima University and across Japan; Japanese students and researchers whose work engages with African countries and communities; and guests from industry, JICA, city and prefectural offices, African diplomatic missions, and academic networks including NERPS.

About HUASA

The Hiroshima University African Students Association (HUASA) is a student-led, non-profit association founded in 2015. It supports African students across all disciplines and degree levels at Hiroshima University and organises academic, cultural and community activities that connect the African community with the university and wider Japanese society. The Baobab Conference takes this work beyond the university, bringing together African researchers from institutions across Japan.