Africa Summit - Sports, Health and Wellbeing (Morning Session)

For the second day of the Africa Summit, we address the strategic theme area of Sports, Health and Wellbeing. This session will be opened by Pro Vice Chancellor for Sport, Professor Jo Maher.

We will then have a keynote speech titled "The power of sports in shaping societies & community resilience – Lessons from the African continent", delivered by IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Lin Cherurbai Sambili-Gicheha, Advisor for Sport, Development and Peace at The Commonwealth Secretariat.

Following this Dr Sambili-Gicheha will join a panel discussion, titled "Integrating sports with national health programs—Examining policy, sustainable sports facility infrastructure, and community impact. " chaired by Professor Richard Giulianotti (SSEHS). Dr Morten Schmidt, Global Director of Programmes and Grants at Laureus Sport for Good also joins the panel as a guest speaker.

The Tuesday of the LU-Africa Summit will delve into the powerful role of sports as a catalyst for societal resilience and cohesion. With a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa’s innovative use of sports to drive positive change, this session will explore the intersection of sports with national health programmes, sustainable infrastructure, and community well-being. Participants will engage with real-world examples of how sports have fostered social cohesion, supported public health initiatives, and enhanced climate resilience across African communities. The session will also examine the potential for the UK to adopt similar strategies, integrating sports into sustainability and climate action frameworks to create more resilient and cohesive communities. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how sports can contribute to achieving the UK’s strategic climate and social goals, leveraging its potential to foster both individual and collective resilience.

Lunch will be served after this event between 12:00 noon and 1:00pm.

This event is part of the Africa Summit.

This event is hybrid format, please use the required booking button at the bottom of the page to choose either in-person or online attendance.
(Please note that in-person spaces are limited and booking is required, so we can manage numbers for catering and also the space in the seminar room)

By booking a place at this event, attendees agree to behave in a respectful manner such that everyone feels comfortable contributing as they wish. The IAS reserves the right to eject anyone who does not abide by this policy.

IAS seminars are typically recorded, minus any Q&A sessions at the end, again to encourage contributions. The recordings are then uploaded to our website on a Fellows bio page and/or Programme page, along with our IAS YouTube Channel. If you are not able to attend a seminar live, please do still register as we will email everyone who registered to let them know once the recordings are made available.