13 - Thandika Mkandawire and the African Intellectual Decolonisation Movement

Keynote Address, New Directions in African Political Economy, Scholarly Conference, The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 14–16 November 2024 It is a profound honour to deliver the keynote address at this landmark conference on New Directions in African Political Economy, hosted by The Africa Institute at Global Studies University, Sharjah, in celebration of the life and legacy of the incomparable Professor Thandika Mkandawire. When the invitation arrived, I accepted without hesitation—not only because of my position on the institute’s Advisory Board but also for the rare privilege of gathering with those who knew and loved Thandika best: his friends, colleagues, mentees and students. Above all, this moment allows me to pay tribute to a man I revered as both a friend and mentor, a luminous intellect whose work re- shaped our understanding of Africa’s place in the world. Thandika was more than a scholar: he was a visionary, a humanist and one of the continent’s most profound voices. To honour him today is to affirm the enduring power of his ideas and the deep well of inspiration he left us, urging us always towards a more just and equitable future.