2021 Africa Evidence Summit

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) catalyzes inclusive, innovative research to inspire social change. Over the past decade, CEGA’s East Africa Social Science Translation (EASST) Collaborative has linked early-career East African scholars, US-based scholars, and local policymakers to bolster evidence informed policy making in East Africa. EASST has hosted 8 Evidence Summits in East Africa and invested in the capacity of 34 talented East African scholars, who have trained over 1000 researchers, media practitioners and policymakers and formed the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA).

Recently, CEGA has expanded to begin working in West Africa, together with the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on Development Impact West Africa (DIWA). EASST, in partnership with NIERA and DIWA, brought these networks together at the 2021 Africa Evidence Summit held on April 7-8, 2021. This online event showcased policy-relevant insights on poverty alleviation in East and West Africa from leading African and US-based researchers; and connected policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to discuss inclusion in global development research.

Keynote Speaker

Professor Ezra Suruma is the Chancellor of Makerere University and a distinguished scholar and statesman with a wealth of experience in the field of finance and banking, spanning more than 25 years. Professor Suruma serves on the Board of the National Planning Authority, participates in numerous national and international economic policy discussions and initiates proposals for policy change. He is the Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit responsible for the implementation of priority programmes of the Uganda Government. He attained a doctorate degree of economics in 1976 from the University of Connecticut, USA; a Masters of Arts in Economics in 1972 and a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1969, both from Fordham University, New York, USA.