Africa’s Geopolitical Space and Canda-Africa Relations in a Shifting Global Order
Dr. Edward Akuffo, Chair, Department of Political Science, University of the Fraser Valley
Abstract:
The African continent, given its geopolitical significance, has always been part of Canadian foreign policy imagination and practice. But what has been the nature, scope, and content of Canadian foreign policy towards African states and regional institutions? And what are the implications of the so called ‘crumbling’ of the Post-World War II global order for Canadian engagements on the African continent? While accounting for the diversity of African states and regional institutional transformations in the post-Cold War era, this talk provides a critical examination of the intersections and disjuncture's between Post-1945 world order and contemporary relations of Canada in Africa. It will offer suggestions on the crafting of a new relationship given the unfolding shift in global order and major power competition in the region.
Speaker Bio:
Edward Akuffo is an Associate Professor of International Relations, and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, Canada. He is a Past-President of International Studies Association, Canada Branch, and the immediate Past-Director of the University of the Fraser Valley Center for Global Development. Edward is an Adjunct Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of New Brunswick-Fredericton, and a member of the University of Waterloo based Defense and Security Foresight Group. He was a Visiting Scholar at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana. Edward’s research focuses on the intersections of Canada’s foreign and security policy, African Union-NATO interregional security cooperation, and maritime security, in Africa. His work has appeared in several academic journals and edited books. He is the author of first ever single authored book on Canada-Africa relations: Canadian Foreign Policy in Africa: Regional Approaches to Peace, Security, and Development (Ashgate/Routledge, 2012). Edward has appeared as an expert witness at the House of Commons and Senate of Canada in their studies on Canada-Africa relations.