The 3rd Howard University African Indigenous Knowledge and Languages (AIKAL) Conference

Theme: African Indigenous Knowledge, Languages, Community, and Youth Empowerment in the Digital Era

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
The annual two-day Howard University African Studies and Languages conference returns in 2027. Unlike the previous years, the 2027 conference will be held virtually via Zoom. It will return to the hybrid format in 2028. The conference will bring together scholars, policymakers, activists, practitioners, Africanists, and many others across the globe who care about the present and future of Africa and its Diaspora.

Date: February 19-20, 2027

ORGANIZERS: Department of World Languages and Cultures, Department of African Studies, & The Center for African Studies
CALL FOR PAPERS
The African Indigenous Knowledge and Languages (AIKAL) Conference, held on February 19–20, 2026, affirmed an urgent need to move beyond documenting the erosion of African languages, Indigenous knowledge systems, ecological resources, and cultural practices toward action, renewal, and transformation. African Indigenous knowledge systems and languages are not remnants of a bygone era. They are living, dynamic systems through which communities transmit knowledge, history, philosophy, identity, ecological wisdom, and social values. Their sustainability requires more than preservation; it demands revitalization, intergenerational transmission, community ownership, institutional commitment, and meaningful youth leadership and engagement. We invite scholars, educators, Indigenous knowledge holders, linguists, creative writers, cultural practitioners, community leaders, activists, policymakers, and students to submit papers that foreground innovative research, community-based initiatives, and transformative practices. We particularly welcome contributions that critically reflect on what is working, what remains challenging, and what must change to place communities and youth at the center of knowledge production and transformation. We invite participants to present papers on the following sub-themes:

1. Herbal Medicine

2. Indigenous Foods

3. Indigenous Conflict Resolution

4. Indigenous Governance

5. Indigenous Forms of Communication

6. Indigenous Women and Development

7. Indigenous Sustenance of the Environment

8. African Indigenous Languages

9. Folklores, Music, and Proverbial Wisdom

10. Indigenous Scripts and their role in Preserving Indigenous Languages and Literatures

11. Documentation and Preservation of Endangered African Languages

12. Agriculture and Indigenous Practices

13. Archeological Findings and African Languages

14. Indigenous Education

15. African Languages in the Digital Age

16. Indigenous Economies

17. African Indigenous Law

18. Indigenous Youth Voices

19. Indigenous forms of Diplomacy

20. African Literature

21. Indigenous Gender Relations

22. Indigenous Epistemologies

23. Cultural Spaces

24. Documentation and Digitalization of Indigenous Knowledge Forms

25. Indigenous Science and Technology

26. Indigenous Astronomy

27. Indigenous Knowledge Transmission and the diaspora

28. Indigenous Knowledge Forms and AI

29. African Languages and AI

Submission Details
We invite individual papers, panels, and community/practitioner presentations. Deadline for submission: Please submit your abstract to the following link: Abstract submissions by November 10, 2026. Also, indicate under which topic your presentation belongs (see above, e.g., indigenous economies). Acceptance Notifications will be sent out by November 30, 2026. Contact Information: Any conference-related questions should be sent to the following address esthermulisanza@gmail.com