2nd KIEL-CEPR African Economic Development Conference (AEDC)

Africa stands at a critical crossroads where longstanding local challenges such as high population growth, persistent conflict, and governance issues intersect with a fundamental transformation of official development cooperation. As priorities in donor countries shift toward self-interest, traditional financing approaches will have to be complemented with other sources of capital to meet the financing needs of a rapidly growing population.  This offers opportunities, such as gaining sovereignty, but also the risk of greater instability.

This 2-day conference will be hosted at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Berlin, Germany, on November 13-14, 2025. The event is jointly organized by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and CEPR and in collaboration with the African School of Economics (ASE).

Confirmed speakers include Thorsten Beck (EUI and CEPR), Xavier Giné (Worldbank and CEPR), Isaac Mbiti (University of Virginia), Ugo Panizza (Geneva Graduate Institute and CEPR), and Lore Vandewalle (KU Leuven and CEPR).