By: Kanto
Kai Okanta
The 19th UbuntuNet-Connect
Conference (UC2026) officially opened in Lilongwe, Malawi, bringing together
regional and international stakeholders to discuss digital infrastructure,
research collaboration and the future of connectivity across Africa.
Organised by the UbuntuNet
Alliance and hosted by the Malawi Research and Education Network (MAREN), the
conference is being held at the Pearl Convention Centre under the theme
“Shaping Digital Horizons.”
The opening ceremony
featured remarks from Hon. Bright Msaka, SC, Minister of Education, Science and
Technology, who officially opened the conference; Dr Ken Ndala, Secretary for
Education, Science and Technology and MAREN Board Chair; Solomon Dindi, MAREN
Chief Executive Officer; Prof. Hellicy Ng’ambi, UbuntuNet Alliance Board Chair;
H.E. Ambassador Daniel Aristi-Gaztelumendi, Head of the European Union
Delegation to Malawi; and Lise Fuhr, Chief Executive Officer of GÉANT.
Discussions highlighted
regional cooperation, investment in digital infrastructure, internet governance
and the role of National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) in advancing
scientific discovery, innovation and digital transformation.
The conference comes 20
years after research and education leaders from Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique,
Rwanda and South Africa came together in 2006 to establish the UbuntuNet
Alliance, a regional research and education networking organisation dedicated
to bridging the digital divide through affordable, high-speed connectivity and
collaboration.
At the time, African
universities and research institutions faced common challenges, including
expensive internet connectivity, limited access to global research resources
and barriers to international academic collaboration.
What began as a shared
ambition to connect African institutions to the global research community has
since grown into a regional network comprising 17 member NRENs across 17
countries.
Through its annual
UbuntuNet-Connect Conference, the Alliance has continued to bring together
NRENs and partners to exchange knowledge, explore emerging technologies and
develop solutions to challenges facing research and education across Africa.
