UbuntuNet Alliance recently joined research and education leaders from across Africa and beyond at the WACREN 2025 Conference held from 10–11 April 2025 in Dakar, Senegal. Held under the theme “Empowering Africa’s Future: Building Resilient Networks through Sustainable Open Infrastructure,” the conference brought together global and regional stakeholders to share ideas and forge collaborations toward strengthening the digital backbone of research and education on the continent.
The event featured rich and timely discussions that echoed global development agendas, especially the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and frameworks promoted by bodies like UNESCO, the European Union, and the United Nations. Key conversations revolved around secure research infrastructures, data governance, open science, federated identity, and the future of NRENs in Africa; issues that lie at the core of UbuntuNet Alliance’s strategic vision. The active participation of UbuntuNet Alliance in such conversations not only reinforces its role as a continental player in research and education networking, but also demonstrates its deep commitment to contributing toward collective global goals through regional and intercontinental partnerships.
Among the most moving moments of the conference was a tribute session on the first day dedicated to honoring the late Dr. Boubakar Barry, former CEO of WACREN, who sadly passed away in September 2024. The emotional session featured colleagues, friends, and partners from across the REN community sharing stories and reflections on Dr. Barry’s profound contributions to the African research and education space. UbuntuNet Alliance CEO, Prof. Madara Ogot, also shared a personal tribute.
“Dr. Boubakar Barry welcomed me into this community and took me under his wing in the early days of my role.”
Prof. Madara Ogot acknowledged the practical knowledge, mentorship, and support that Dr. Barry offered, which laid a strong foundation for his leadership at UbuntuNet Alliance.
The conference further cemented the importance of collaboration and mutual support between regional networks like UbuntuNet Alliance, WACREN, ASREN, GÉANT and more. These partnerships are not only essential for expanding connectivity and digital services across borders but are also key to ensuring that Africa continues to contribute to and benefit from global research and innovation systems. Renewed engagements, joint sessions, and informal exchanges during the conference all served as strong reminders of the shared vision among African NRENs to strengthen open, secure, and sustainable digital ecosystems for research and education.
As the WACREN 2025 conference has taken place, the energy and insights gained carry forward into the preparations for UbuntuNet-Connect 2025, the flagship event of UbuntuNet Alliance, taking place from 30–31 October 2025 in Harare, Zimbabwe. With its call for abstracts now open, the conference is expected to continue many of the conversations started in Dakar, while providing a platform for even deeper exploration into themes of network resilience, sustainable infrastructure, and innovation-driven growth for Africa’s research and education networks.