The African Journalism Education Network (AJEN), an organisation of journalism educators from across the continent, which aims to promote and strengthen democracy by cultivating independent media through the development, teaching, and study of journalism and related fields in Africa, has announced its 2026 Round Table Meeting, scheduled to hold in Mauritius from August 12 to 14, 2026, under the theme “Reimagining African Journalism Education in a Time of Technological Disruptions and Possibilities”.
The event is open to both AJEN members and non-members and is designed to provide opportunities for journalism educators, industry leaders, and stakeholders to engage in discussions on key issues, share knowledge, and network.
The 2026 Round Table is co-hosted by the Media Trust of Mauritius and the University of Mauritius, with support from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and FOJO Media Institute, and will feature keynote addresses, workshops, cross-sectoral discussions, training sessions, short provocations, the AJEN AGM, and the Adenauer Media Lecture.
For the first time, the 2026 edition will include an academic track, inviting submissions of abstracts for paper presentations focused on the theme.
African journalism education faces a time of both threat and opportunity, as technological 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 reshape the relationship between journalists and their audiences, creating a historic opportunity for journalism educators 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 are 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, legacy publishers and innovators, patterns in employment of graduates, teaching for audience engagement, and implications of geopolitical developments. Presenters should be prepared for an audience that includes industry representatives and academics and for dialogue with both, and depending on submissions AJEN may publish conference proceedings.
The round table will be held at the Grand Domaine de Baie resort in the north of Mauritius, with remote participation available via Zoom, and further inquiries can be directed to Christina Chan-Meetoo at chanssc@uom.ac.mu or Margaret Jjuuko at margarert.jjuuko@gmail.com
Key dates include April 10 for the opening of registration, May 15 as the deadline for abstract submission, June 1 for the notification of decisions, and July 15 as the closing date for registration, while the participation fee is $60 for in-person presenters and $30 for remote presenters.
Further information on the organisation including programme updates, speakers’ details, and membership process can be assessed at http://www.ajenafrica.com.
For more information, click: https://ajenafrica.com/ajen-round-table-2026/.
Click here to access and fill the submission form. The same form can be used for anyone wanting to attend without presenting.
