Urge- DevWire
News. Analysis. Events
Urge Dev-News | UrgeDevWire
Kenya | Uganda | Tanzania | Rwanda | Somalia | Ethiopia | South Sudan | DRC
A weekly development news platform published by UrgeDevWire, produced by Urge Communications. Covering wider East African region.
DevNews Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
East African Researchers Invited to Shape Regional Integration Agenda
NAIROBI, Kenya — 11 August 2026
Researchers, policymakers and development practitioners across East Africa have been invited to contribute to the region's policy debate through the 2nd EACARNRI International Conference, with organisers opening a call for papers focused on sustainable regional integration.
The conference is being organised by the East African Community Academic and Research Network for Regional Integration (EACARNRI) and the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), with the University of Nairobi serving as host and partner institution. It will take place in Nairobi on 4–5 November 2026.
The overall theme is “Harnessing Regional Integration for Sustainable Development in East Africa: Opportunities, Challenges, and Innovations.”
The call covers economic integration and AfCFTA, digital transformation, environmental sustainability, political and institutional challenges, human development, trade and investment, infrastructure and collaborative research.
The conference is designed to connect academic research with policy, bringing together researchers, EAC officials, policymakers, practitioners and regional integration experts.
Importantly, the organisers say approximately 16 selected authors will receive full funding covering travel and accommodation, while other accepted contributors may participate on a self-funded or virtual basis.
Abstract submissions opened on 11 August and close on 8 September 2026. A webinar for prospective contributors is scheduled for 19 August.
For East Africa's development community, the opportunity is significant because regional integration increasingly depends on evidence that can inform policy beyond political declarations.
Questions around cross-border trade, digital governance, climate cooperation, labour mobility and regional infrastructure require research that can move between academic institutions and decision-making structures.
The conference therefore provides a potential bridge between research, regional policy and implementation.
Source: Inter-University Council for East Africa
DevNews Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
Photo/Courtesy/ EAC Secretariate
Urge- Intelligence
Urge- DevWire
Urge Skill-Up
Knowledge is power.
Stay connected. Be informed.
© 2026 All rights reserved.
East Africa's Development Community.
© Urge Communications 2026