From 29 June to 12 July 2026, the College of Social Sciences hosted the Sahel Summer School 2026, bringing together leading scholars and practitioners to explore the Sahel through a multidisciplinary and decolonial lens. Coordinated by Prof. Beatriz Mesa within the IPORA framework, the programme examined the region’s geographical, geopolitical, security, environmental, and socio-economic dynamics while fostering critical dialogue on the Sahel’s role in global affairs.
The summer school aimed to deepen participants’ understanding of the historical legacies, political economies, environmental pressures, and local forms of agency shaping security and development across the Sahel. Through lectures, workshops, and interactive discussions, participants explored key themes including security and geopolitics, state sovereignty, migration, religion and belief systems, resilience and pastoral livelihoods, memory and decolonisation, information and misinformation, and great power rivalries in the region.
The programme also featured a conference on geopolitical reconfigurations in North Africa and the Sahel-Sahara region, alongside cultural visits and field-based activities in Rabat, providing participants with valuable opportunities for experiential learning, networking, and interdisciplinary exchange. The summer school concluded with a certificate ceremony recognizing participants’ successful completion of the programme.
