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The culmination of the conference the CGF-ODI-AERC Conference 2024: China-Africa economic interactions: past, present, and future was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Centre for Global Finance. Signing the MOU was AERC’s Executive Director, Prof. Victor Murinde and SOAS Centre for Global Finance Director, Prof. Hong Bo.

This MOU seeks to enhance the long-standing relationship between the AERC and the SOAS Centre for Global Finance by providing a framework for research collaboration and training on areas of mutual interest. Present at the signing ceremony were Dr. Meng Xie, Manager and Researcher at SOAS-CGF and three AERC staff: Dr. Abbi Kedir, Director of Research, Dr. Dianah Muchai, Manager Research and Lydiah Auma, Strategic Partnerships Officer.

The African Economic Research Consortium has earlier held a round table discussion during the CGF-ODI-AERC Conference 2024 on Friday, 13 September 2024 at the SOAS University of London. This conference, hosted by the SOAS Centre for Global Finance, and co-organized by ODI and the AERC brought together researchers, policy makers and practitioners to discuss issues surrounding the China-Africa economic interactions through the lens of China’s infrastructure investment.

The AERC Roundtable, which focused on China in Africa was chaired by Prof. Peter Muriu, Associate Professor of Economics and Finance, University of Nairobi featuring the following Panelists: Prof. Victor Murinde, Executive Director, AERC; Dr Abbi Kedir, Director of Research, AERC; Dr Dianah Muchai, Research Manager, AERC, Dr. Christine Charity Mwebesi, Special Presidential Assistant – Economic Affairs, Uganda and Dr. Francis Mwesigye, Chief Economist, Uganda Development Bank.

The panelists discussed AERC’s research on China-Africa Relations; the strategic directions of Africa’s leaders in their engagement with China – highlighting the areas of emphasis as affordable energy and infrastructure, easy/cheap access to finance, capacity building and technology transfer. In addition, the round table panelist discussed how Chinese financing compare with financing from traditional western donors, future research areas and China’s role in contributing to FinTech in Africa.