Leaders Across Harvard’s African Student Organizations Gather at CAS Luncheon to Shape the Year Ahead

The Harvard Center for African Studies (CAS) recently hosted a Student Org Leaders’ Luncheon, bringing together presidents, chairs, and student leaders from across African organizations at Harvard. The gathering created space for reflection, leadership transition, relationship-building, and conversations around the future of Africa-centered student life across the University.

Student leaders representing undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools gathered to discuss priorities for the upcoming academic year and explore opportunities for greater coordination across Harvard’s African student ecosystem. The luncheon also served as a space for outgoing student leaders to connect with incoming executive boards ahead of the 2026–2027 academic year.

Organizations represented at Harvard include the African Student Society (AfriSoc) & Africa Political Forum, HBS Africa Business Club (ABC), Africa Caucus at HKS & Africa Development Conference Committee, AfricaGSD, HGSE African Students Association, Harvard African Law Association (HALA), Harvard Chan Africa Health Students Forum, HMS/HSDM Africa Health Student Club; as well as undergraduate organizations, including Harvard African Student Association (HASA), Harvard Undergraduate Somali Students Association (HUSSA), Harvard Undergraduate Association of Ghanaian Students (HUAGS), Eritrean and Ethiopian Student Association (EESA), and Nigerian Student Association (NSA).

Throughout the luncheon, chairs graduating this May reflected on their experiences, lessons learned, and hopes for the future. Incoming leaders also began discussing opportunities for collaboration, organizational growth, and plans for the 2026–2027 academic year. Conversations centered on strengthening relationships across schools, building tools and structures that better support student organizations, and creating greater synergy within Harvard’s African student community.

The gathering highlighted a broader shared purpose among student leaders: creating a stronger experience for Africa-centered students at Harvard while fostering long-term impact on the continent. Students discussed ways organizations could continue supporting one another through shared programming, joint initiatives, leadership transitions, and expanded cross-school engagement. Leaders emphasized the importance of building stronger pathways between organizations so students across Harvard’s schools can more easily engage with one another’s events, initiatives, and networks.

CAS plans to host another gathering of student leaders this fall to continue conversations around organizational planning, sharing of ideas, and community-building across Harvard’s African student ecosystem. The Center hopes these gatherings will continue strengthening relationships among student leaders while supporting new ideas and long-term institution-building across Harvard’s Africa-centered organizations.

Student organization leaders interested in participating in future gatherings or learning more are encouraged to contact CAS Student Support Officer Lindsay Moats at lmoats@fas.harvard.edu