Engaging the Next Generation at AIESRE2025: DIGITAfrica Booth Highlights
During the AIESRE2025 Conference, the DIGITAfrica consortium organized an interactive booth targeting young students, early-career researchers, and members of the research community. The booth served as an outreach and dissemination activity, providing a clear and accessible introduction to the project’s vision, objectives, and current progress.
Throughout the conference, consortium members engaged directly with participants to explain DIGITAfrica’s mission: collaboratively designing a framework for a comprehensive pan-African Research Infrastructure in Digital Sciences, with a strong emphasis on African–European cooperation. Using the project presentation materials, we introduced visitors to the project’s scope, consortium composition, and its alignment with broader goals such as capacity building, inclusivity, Open Science, and bridging the digital divide
Particular attention was given to engaging young researchers and students, highlighting how DIGITAfrica supports skills development in areas such as advanced computing, AI, machine learning, and digital infrastructures. Discussions also covered current project achievements, including capacity mapping of digital RIs in African partner countries, strategic analysis of research and innovation needs, and the development of training activities such as micro- credentials.
The booth proved to be an effective space for dialogue, raising awareness of DIGITAfrica’s long-term vision and encouraging interest in future training, community-building, and collaboration opportunities. This activity directly contributes to the project’s dissemination and communication objectives, while reinforcing its commitment to empowering the next generation of digital science researchers.