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ABOUT COLUMBIA AFRICA CONFERENCE
The Columbia Africa Conference (CAC) is Columbia University’s largest Africa-focused event, bringing together leaders, builders, thinkers, and communities shaping the continent and its relationship with the world.
Led by students across Columbia Business School, the Mailman School of Public Health, the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia Law School and the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), CAC reflects the breadth of perspectives needed to engage seriously with Africa’s opportunities, challenges, and growing global influence.
For more than two decades, the conference has created a space where ideas meet action, connecting students and professionals with business leaders, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, academics, creatives, and changemakers from across Africa and the diaspora.
OUR STORY
Founded in 2004 as the Africa Economic Forum, the Columbia Africa Conference has evolved alongside the continent itself.
What began as a forum focused primarily on economics has grown into a multidisciplinary platform exploring the forces shaping Africa across business, capital, policy, health, technology, culture, cities, and society.
Across its history, CAC has welcomed influential voices from the public and private sectors while creating opportunities for candid conversation, meaningful connection, and collaboration across generations and industries.
In 2026, Africa Ahead: The Continent’s Role in a New Global Order looks beyond familiar narratives about Africa’s potential. Instead, we ask what happens when Africa is understood not simply as participating in global change, but as helping shape it.