Theme: Reimagining African journalism education in a time of Technological Disruptions and Possibilities
The 2026 edition of the annual round table meeting of the African Journalism Education Network (Ajen) comes to Mauritius, from 12 – 14 August 2026. And you’re invited! The event is open to Ajen members and non-members, offering opportunities to hear from industry leaders and journalism educators, to discuss important issues of common concern, to learn and network.
Background
The African Journalism Education Network (Ajen) is an organisation of journalism educators from across the continent, founded in 2023 in Kigali. The organisation’s aims are to promote and strengthen democracy by cultivating independent media through the development, teaching and study of journalism and related fields in Africa; and to boost the standing of African journalism, its teaching and research in the global community of communication teaching and scholarship.
Round tables have been held in Johannesburg (2022), Kigali (2023), Nairobi (2024) and Accra (2025), and a monthly newsletter is produced. Further information on the organisation and membership process can be found at www.ajenafrica.com.
Partners for 2026 Round Table
The 2026 round table is co-hosted by the Media Trust of Mauritius and the University of Mauritius. It is supported by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and FOJO Media Institute.
Programme outline
The programme will feature keynote addresses from academic and industry leaders, workshops, cross-sectoral discussions, short provocations, training workshops, the AJEN AGM and the Adenauer Media Lecture, which was previously held in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Kigali and Accra.
Details of speakers and the programme will be published on ajenafrica.com.
Call for Abstracts
For the first time in 2026, the Ajen round table will include an academic track. We invite submissions of abstracts for paper presentations that relate to the round table theme: “Reimagining African journalism education in a time of Technological Disruptions and Possibilities.”
African journalism education faces a time of both threat and opportunity, as technical shifts change the means of journalistic production, media business models and employment opportunities for graduates. The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) changes not only the production tools available to journalists, but also stands to change the relationship between journalists and their audiences. Journalism educators have a historic opportunity to reimagine their field, in order to ensure that graduates have the skills to guarantee continued availability of quality, professional journalism into the future.
Areas of interest for presenters may include but not limited to:
- Examples of innovation in African journalism education
- AI in the journalism classroom
- AI accessibility and use in global south contexts
- Issues of ethics, policy, law and regulation
- Campus media
- Relations with industry – both legacy publishers and innovators
- Patterns in employment of graduates
- Teaching for audience engagement
- Implications of geopolitical developments
Presenters should be prepared for an audience that includes industry representatives and academics and for dialogue with both. Depending on submissions, Ajen may publish conference proceedings.
Venue: The round table will be held in the resort of Grand Domaine de Baie, in the north of stunning Mauritius.
Remote participation: Attendance via Zoom will be possible.
Registration and submission of abstracts
If you want to submit an abstract, please use the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/5mzVWsJgwpd1tuZw5 The same form can be used for anyone wanting to attend without presenting.
Key dates
- April 10: Registration opens, including for submission of abstracts
- May 15: Deadline for abstract submission
- June 1: Notification on abstract decision sent out
- July 15: Registration closes
Registration fee: $60 in-person presenters and $30 for remote presenters
For more information please contact:
- Christina Chan-Meetoo at chanssc@uom.ac.mu
- Margaret Jjuuko at margarert.jjuuko@gmail.com
This article was originally published by Ajen Newsletter on 14th April 2026.