The Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (FERDI), the Global Development Network (GDN), the African Center for Equitable Development (ACED), the CERDI (University Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, IRD), and the African School of Economics are organizing the first edition of a forum dedicated to strengthening research and knowledge production and contribution to digital transformations in West Africa. The event will take place in Cotonou (Benin) from the 7th to 9th July, 2026, and is supported by the Clermont-Ferrand International Development Hub (PCDI).

Digitalization is a major strategic stake for African economies, yet the extent to which digital development interventions have been successful and their role in shaping social, economic, and political transformations remains unclear. West Africa, in particular, offers a rich setting that remains insufficiently documented, calling for strengthened research efforts to inform debates and policies on digitalization and development. The Forum therefore aims to take stock of existing knowledge, and support young scholars to bring African research, especially from West Africa, into closer dialogue with global research, public policy, and regional development efforts. The Forum is a three-day, in-person event and will be structured around three complementary pillars:

• Day 1: A research lab dedicated to developing new research projects and programmes on digital transformations in West Africa;
• Day 2: A research workshop during which young African economists will present and discuss their papers on digital transformations in West Africa and across the rest of the continent;
• Day 3: Round tables and panels to strengthen the digital research-policy connection.

Keynotes: Jenny Aker (Cornell University), Moussa Blimpo (University of Toronto) and other scholars (to be announced).

Click here to explore other open calls in connection with the Forum, and to learn more about the event.

For several decades, the city of Clermont-Ferrand has been a recognized center of expertise in development economics at both the French and international levels, thanks to a training program specifically designed for executives and future decision-makers from the Global South, offered by the Center for Studies and Research on International Development (CERDI) since 1976, and the research and training activities of the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (FERDI), founded in 2004.

This hub has now been strengthened by the presence of the Global Development Network (GDN), an international organization dedicated to building research capacity in the Global South, which established a branch in Clermont-Ferrand in 2022. With the support of the Agence française de développement (AFD), which has been present in Clermont-Ferrand since 2025, the PDCI aims to develop synergies and consolidate this local ecosystem of expertise.