ISA's first Xposed of the semester will take place @8-9:30 PM EST on Thursday, October 7th on Zoom. There will also be a live screening of the event in Room 107 in the Oechsle Center for Global Education. Please register for the event using the following form by Wednesday, October 6th at midnight EST. A Zoom link will be sent to you before the event.

Event Description:

In 2012, China decided to fund the design and construction of the African Union headquarters as a $200 million gift to Africa. The project was a huge success and a great boost for Africa. However, in 2017, technicians at the headquarters noticed that someone had inserted backdoor access to the network by which all data had been transferring to a server in Shanghai for the past 5 years. After discovering this, an investigation found microphones and spyware all over the building.

Is there another side to China's development of Africa?

From constructing high-speed railways in Kenya and Ethiopia to a megaport and economic zone in Tanzania, China has infrastructure projects in every single African nation but one. With trade reaching more $200 billion, China is Africa’s largest trading partner. While the development is doing wonders for the continent, there are serious claims of debt-trading, loan-sharking, and neocolonialism. Our panel aims to investigate these claims and determine the true nature of China’s involvement in Africa, both the good and the bad.

Here are the featured guest speakers:

Eric Olander is the co-founder of the China Africa Project (CAP). Mr. Olander has spent more than 25 years in journalism, working with world-leading media companies such as CNN, FRANCE24, the BCC, and more. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in East African History. He obtained a Master's degree in Chinese Public Affairs from the University of Hong Kong. He is also a fluent Mandarin speaker, and he is dedicated to exploring China's engagement in Africa.

Dr. Kenneth Kalu is an Assistant Professor in Global Management Studies at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. Dr. Kalu holds senior executive positions in the public and private sector in Canada. He is a commentator on Africa's economies and institutions, foreign aid, foreign direct investment, and China's economic partnerships with Africa. He holds a B.Sc. degree in Accounting, an M.Sc. in Finance, an M.A in Economics, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy.  

Boniface Mwangi is an award-winning photographer, activist, journalist, and artist. From 2007 to 2008, he captured post-election violence in Kenya. The terror of what he witnessed moved him to start a career as an activist and an artist. Mr. Mwangi has worked as a freelance photographer for Bloomberg, the AFP, Reuters, the Boston Globe, and other media outlets. He is the founder of Pawa254, a collaborative hub for journalists, activists, and artists passionate about creating social change.