Africa and the New Global Order

Hybrid

Frances Brown, Adam Habib, and Richard Joseph join Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss how African countries are navigating new partnerships and a changing global order.

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa smile during a joint press conference in Pretoria, South Africa on January 12, 2020.

Oct

Themba Hadebe / AP

Speakers

Frances Z. Brown
Adam Habib
Richard Joseph
Leslie Vinjamuri

Date and Time

Oct 7: 5:30 - 6:30 pm CDT

Doors Open: 5:15 pm

Location

Chicago Council Conference Center, 130 E Randolph Street; or via YouTube

Who Can Attend

For All

REGISTRATION

This event is open to the public.

About This Event

Africa’s role in global affairs is evolving as countries across the continent navigate an increasingly competitive and multipolar world. With a growing range of economic and diplomatic partners, African countries are diversifying their relationships to create more choice and potentially more leverage. But engagement with great powers—including China, the United States, and Russia—may create as much constraint as opportunity. How are African countries navigating this changing landscape? Can they leverage multilateral institutions to their advantage, or is this a lost cause? And is there a shared African vision for the future international order, or is the continent more divided than aligned? Join Frances Brown, Richard Joseph, and Adam Habib in conversation with Leslie Vinjamuri on Africa’s place in a changing global order.

This program is presented by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in partnership with SOAS University of London.

About the Speakers

Frances Z. Brown

Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Frances Z. Brown is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Brown served on the White House National Security Council (NSC) staff over the past three presidential administrations, including most recently Senior Director and Special Assistant to the President for Africa under the Biden administration.

Adam Habib

Vice-Chancellor, SOAS University of London

Adam Habib is vice-chancellor of SOAS University of London and a professor of political science. Previously, he served as vice-chancellor and principal of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and as deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Johannesburg.

Richard Joseph

Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science, Northwestern University

Richard Joseph previously taught at Emory University, Dartmouth College, the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Ibadan (Nigeria), and the University of Khartoum (Sudan). Joseph has devoted his scholarly career to the study of politics and governance in Africa with a special focus on democratic transitions, state building and state collapse, and conflict resolution.

Leslie Vinjamuri

President & Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri joined the Council in 2025 as the president and chief executive officer, after previously serving as director of the US and the Americas program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, known as Chatham House, in London. She is Professor of Practice in International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London.

Construction Alert Please note that the Randolph Street lobby of the Prudential building, where guests enter for Council events, will be under construction from April through December.

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