LSE Africa Summit
Europe’s leading student-led Africa event
The [LSE Africa Summit] and the sheer range of topics it visited was unlike anything I have ever attended.
The LSE Africa Summit is an annual student-led conference that promotes debate around the continent's contemporary challenges and opportunities. The Summit gathers renowned scholars, leading politicians, change-makers, activists and forward-thinking entrepreneurs to provide a unique platform for sharing ideas and nurturing relationships that translate into meaningful action. The LSE Africa Summit is the biggest event of its kind in Europe.
For more information please visit the Africa Summit website.
First established by LSE in students in 2014, the founders of the Summit created the event to overturn narratives of the continent as diseased, hungry and underdeveloped. This ethos speaks to understanding Africa as a diverse region best articulated by those on the continent, which includes both the influential and the marginalised.
The two-day conference has since earned a reputation for promoting afro-centric scholarship and exploring issues critically, in response to a rapidly evolving continent. Each year, a new student team designs, fundraises, and delivers the Summit, supported by the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa. Panel discussions and keynote speeches are accompanied by practical workshops, concerts and exhibitions.
2026 LSE Africa Summit
2024 LSE Africa Summit
The 2024 LSE Africa Summit took place in March 2024, focusing on the theme "African Minds Transforming Futures." This impactful event brought together policymakers, academics, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders from across Africa and its diaspora to discuss the future of education and its critical role in sustainable development on the continent. Panel discussions and workshops addressed topics such as resilient education systems, technological innovations, and the role of African scholars in global academia. Attendees engaged in insightful conversations aimed at fostering collaboration and shaping Africa's educational landscape for future generations.
Themes
Past Summit themes have included Entrepreneurship (2014), Innovative Governance (2015), Africa within a Global Context (2016), African Solutions to African Issues (2017), Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialisation (2018), Africa’s Future Frontiers (2019),The Global Crisis as a Catalyst for Change (2021) and African Prosperity through Peace, Health and Development (2022). The March 2020 Summit was cancelled to the Covid-19 pandemic.