HSE Center for African Studies organized a lecture for HSE students and roundtable featuring representatives of the African Union Commission

On June 11, 2026, a lecture and roundtable titled «Regional Security Governance: International Experience and African Practice» was held. The event featured representatives of the African Union Commission (AUC), who discussed the contemporary security challenges facing Africa, prospects for regional integration, and opportunities for using IT solutions to monitor the socio-political situation across the continent.

Lecture and roundtable «Regional Security Governance: International Experience and African Practice»

At the event, organized by the HSE Center for African Studies as part of the educational «Africa» track students from the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs and other HSE divisions took part, as well as students enrolled in the track, and staff members of the Center.

The event was moderated by Vsevolod Sviridov, Deputy Director of the HSE Center for African Studies.

During the lecture, His Excellency Ambassador Bankole Adeoye discussed the African Union's approach to regional and international security issues, with particular emphasis on the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).

Speaking about the potential of digital security monitoring systems and the use of AI, His Excellency Ambassador Bankole Adeoye noted that the African Union views it as a tool capable of significantly enhancing the effectiveness of the organization's work.

«We are going to use it to develop a continental early warning system», admitted His Excellency Ambassador.

In addition, Patience Zanelie Chiradza, Director of the Governance and Conflict Prevention Directorate (GCPD) of the African Union Commission, presented a digital monitoring and early-warning system designed to detect and identify conflicts at an early stage.

«The system needs to develop mechanisms for fact-checking and prevention of misinformation and disinformation, because the more you collect information, the more often the issue of its reliability arises. In this regard, we need to develop IT solutions that will help the African Union cross-verify information and ensure that whatever information is processed through the continental system is really correct», noted Patience Zanelie Chiradza.

Alexander Sokolov, Director of the HSE University Foresight Center, also took part in the discussion. He presented a forecast of Africa's scientific and technological development prepared by the Foresight Center in collaboration with colleagues from South Africa, and also spoke about the outcomes of a foresight session on Africa’s food security, held in Ethiopia in autumn 2025.

At the conclusion, Q&A discussion took place. Third-year students of the International Relations program at the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, as well as participants of the «Africa» track, Arkady Tsvetkov and Arseny Armanshin, asked questions about cooperation between the African Union Commission and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), as well as about ensuring security in Africa at the regional level.