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| Victor Ibeanusi, Ph.D. (center) and a few of the FAMU students who will travel to South Africa. |
The four-day summit, scheduled from July 1-4, 2024, aims to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue, scholarship, and collaboration among researchers, students, and entrepreneurs. The event seeks to advance scientific knowledge, policy development, and decision-making in critical areas such as energy, water, food security, and climate change.
The conference is the brainchild of Victor Ibeanusi, dean, School of the Environment. “This conference creates a global platform for innovative ideas and sustainable solutions, said Dr. Ibeanusi. "It is a unique opportunity for participants to present groundbreaking ideas that can lead to sustainable solutions for our planet."
“We have one planet, and if we all have to work together to save it,” Dr. Ibeanusi said.
The summit will feature a diverse array of speakers, including university administrators, scholars, business executives, and government officials from Africa, Europe, and North America. It will also serve as a venue for celebrating the 45th anniversary of Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), which is collaborating with FAMU to host the event.
"As South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy, MUT is proud to collaborate with Florida A&M University in hosting the 2024 EnergyWaterFoodClimate Nexus Summit," said Professor Nokuthula Sibya, MUT's acting vice-chancellor and principal. "This partnership will help position MUT on a global stage and advance critical discussions that are vital to our future."
The summit's focus is to push the boundaries of research and education to find solutions to pressing environmental challenges. It will also provide a global perspective for students and faculty, encouraging them to tackle complex issues both at home and abroad.
The summit will kick off with registration on July 1, followed by a keynote address by Sierra Leone's Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Jiwoh E. Abdulai, on July 2. The event is expected to attract a wide range of participants interested in finding innovative solutions to the challenges facing Africa and the world.
Student participation.
The FAMU delegation, will consist of 13 students, who will serve as notetakers at the summit.
Their role will involve meticulously documenting the proceedings of all sessions. The notes collected will be instrumental in producing a peer-reviewed post-summit proceeding.
The students will also participate in the "Why Hack" session, where they, alongside their South African and other African counterparts, will address questions related to the summit's nine thematic tracks. These tracks include water quality, microbial systems and bioinformatics, leveraging big data, achieving zero GHG emissions, meeting soil carbon goals, climate-resilient agriculture, food security, an AI-driven circular economy, and fostering a new science enterprise to lead the way.
Looking ahead, FAMU plans to continue the international reach of the summit by hosting the conference in Miskolc, Hungary, in 2025, and in Asia in 2026.