THEME & SUBTHEMES
THEME
African Wisdom, Global Relevance: Reclaiming Interprofessional Futures
The theme for the 5th AfrIPEN Conference emphasises the centrality of African knowledge systems, practices, and ways of being in shaping the future of interprofessional education and collaborative practice. African Wisdom, Global Relevance reflects the growing recognition that African-led models of health, education, and community engagement offer valuable insights that extend far beyond the continent. This theme reinforces the importance of grounding interprofessional collaboration in local contexts while contributing meaningfully to global discourses on health systems strengthening, professional education, and equitable care. By reclaiming interprofessional futures, the conference seeks to highlight Africa’s leadership in developing contextually responsive, community-driven, and culturally grounded approaches to interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaborative practice (IPECP). The theme invites delegates to explore how African values, philosophies, and innovations can inform globally relevant models that prepare a collaborative, future-ready health and social care workforce.
SUBTHEME 1
Ubuntu in Practice: Indigenous Knowledge and Collaborative Care
This subtheme explores African philosophies such as Ubuntu as foundations for interprofessional values, ethics, and team-based approaches. It examines how indigenous knowledge and communal ways of living can strengthen collaboration and improve health and social outcomes.
SUBTHEME 2
Context Matters: Designing IPE for African Realities
This subtheme focuses on the development and implementation of interprofessional curricula, supervision models, and pedagogies that are responsive to the diverse socio-economic, cultural, and health system contexts across Africa.
SUBTHEME 3
Reclaiming Power: Decolonial Pedagogies in IPE
This subtheme examines how colonial histories and social hierarchies shape health professions education. It considers how African-led transformation can promote equity, inclusion, and justice within interprofessional learning environments.
SUBTHEME 4
Community-Led Innovation: From Grassroots to System Change
This subtheme highlights community-engaged approaches to interprofessional collaboration and showcases examples where community voices, practices, and leadership drive innovation and inform system-level improvements.
SUBTHEME 5
Researching with Africa, for Africa: Methodologies and Models that Matter
This subtheme highlights African-led research, indigenous methodologies, and knowledge production practices that advance both policy and practice. It encourages scholarly work rooted in African epistemologies and regional needs.
SUBTHEME 6
Africa as a Global Contributor: Exporting Interprofessional Excellence
This subtheme demonstrates how African interprofessional models, innovations, and case studies contribute to global health and education systems. It reflects on the continental impact of African-driven scholarship and its relevance worldwide.