Harvard University Center for African Studies

In a three-part series with His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, the President of Sierra Leone, CAS convened a 1) faculty research roundtable on Sierra Leone’s development priorities; 2) a student gathering on governance and ethical leadership; and 3) concluding with a public convening at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum examining the shifting geopolitical landscape of the West African country.

In partnership with the Institute of Politics and the Office of the University Marshall, CAS welcomed President Bio and the Sierra Leonean delegation to Harvard with a welcome motorcade and flag ceremony. The visit also marked President Bio’s return to Harvard seven years after his first visit to the University in 2019.

Across the three platforms, the President—who is also the current leader of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States)—reiterated the importance of knowledge production; the need for university students to be partners in shaping the continent’s future; and a call for Africa to be confident in its own knowledge, institutions, resources, and human capital, while engaging the world from a position of agency and close partnership.