The YSI Cooperative WG in collaboration with the Urban and Regional Economics WG are pleased to announce the 7th Africa Young Scholars Workshop on Co-operatives 2025, which will be held alongside The Co-operative University of Kenya’s (CUK) 8th Annual International Conference organized in collaboration with the Moshi Co-operative University (MoCu). The workshop will take place from 22nd – 24th July 2025 in Naivasha town, Kenya.
We anticipate the participation of approximately 10 Young Scholars, partially sponsored by the Young Scholars Initiative to attend the workshop physically in Naivasha, Kenya. To enrich the workshop experience, we plan to invite two (2) local mentors from the CUK and MoCu fraternity to the physical event.
We encourage young scholars to submit their research papers and abstracts aligned with workshop theme, “Re-Imagining the Role of Cooperatives in Sustainable Development in Africa”
The following are the subthemes;
- The Cooperative Business Model for a Sustainable Regional Economy: We are looking for abstracts and presentations on topics including the economic sustainability of various cooperative models, social inclusivity, environmental stewardship, regional specificity, and the sharing of innovations and best practices in member engagement, service delivery, and technology adoption to foster resilient urban and regional economies.
- The Role of Housing Cooperatives in Shaping Sustainable and Inclusive Cities: We are looking for abstracts and presentations on topics including affordable housing access through cooperative frameworks, social inclusion via resident participation, building social capital, integrating green building
The YSI Cooperative WG in collaboration with the Urban and Regional Economics WG are pleased to announce the 7th Africa Young Scholars Workshop on Co-operatives 2025, which will be held alongside The Co-operative University of Kenya’s (CUK) 8th Annual International Conference organized in collaboration with the Moshi Co-operative University (MoCu). The workshop will take place from 22nd – 24th July 2025 in Naivasha town, Kenya.
We anticipate the participation of approximately 10 Young Scholars, partially sponsored by the Young Scholars Initiative to attend the workshop physically in Naivasha, Kenya. To enrich the workshop experience, we plan to invite two (2) local mentors from the CUK and MoCu fraternity to the physical event.
We encourage young scholars to submit their research papers and abstracts aligned with workshop theme, “Re-Imagining the Role of Cooperatives in Sustainable Development in Africa”
The following are the subthemes;
- The Cooperative Business Model for a Sustainable Regional Economy: We are looking for abstracts and presentations on topics including the economic sustainability of various cooperative models, social inclusivity, environmental stewardship, regional specificity, and the sharing of innovations and best practices in member engagement, service delivery, and technology adoption to foster resilient urban and regional economies.
- The Role of Housing Cooperatives in Shaping Sustainable and Inclusive Cities: We are looking for abstracts and presentations on topics including affordable housing access through cooperative frameworks, social inclusion via resident participation, building social capital, integrating green building practices, addressing housing crises, enhancing resilience to economic and environmental shocks through cooperative structures and mutual aid, and identifying enabling policies for scaling successful cooperative housing models.
- Harnessing Innovation and Technology in Cooperative Sectors for Urban and Regional Economic Growth: We are looking for abstracts and presentations on topics including digital transformation via platforms for member management, mobile technology, data analytics, and cybersecurity; innovative business models such as new cooperative structures, social entrepreneurship, and hybrid organizational forms; and technological advancements in sectors like agriculture, transport, energy, and finance (FinTech) within cooperative frameworks to drive sustainable development.
- Policy, Partnerships, and Governance for Promoting Sustainable Cooperative-led Urban and Regional Development: We are looking for abstracts and presentations on topics including evaluating the effectiveness of existing policy and legal frameworks, fostering partnerships among cooperatives, governments, NGOs, the private sector, and international organizations; establishing effective governance practices; integrating sustainability principles into cooperative policies; and creating an enabling environment through access to finance, capacity building, and public awareness campaigns.
- Empowering Youth and Future Generations through Cooperative Entrepreneurship for Urban and Regional Sustainability: We are looking for abstracts and presentations on topics including strategies to attract and engage youth in cooperative initiatives, support for youth-led cooperative ventures, fostering intergenerational collaboration and knowledge transfer, positioning youth as drivers of innovation within the cooperative movement, and exploring future trends and opportunities for youth within urban and regional economic development.
- Cooperative Finance as a Catalyst for Sustainable and Equitable Economic Growth: We are looking for abstracts and presentations on topics including financial inclusion via savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) and other financial cooperatives, innovative financing models beyond traditional loans, impact investing by cooperative financial institutions in sustainable projects, the role of cooperative banking in funding green initiatives, and expanding access to finance for underserved urban and regional communities.
