A panel of leading African commentators will reflect on the global response to the health dimensions of the pandemic in Africa.

Our speakers will look at what the global response to the pandemic tells us about the emerging multi-polar world, the role of cooperation and collective action in this emerging multi-polarity, the impact of US-China competition and the significance for African states as autonomous actors in this changing global context.

Assis Malaquias is Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Studies and Maritime Affairs at the California State University (Maritime).

Elizabeth Sidiropoulos is the Chief Executive of the South African Institute of International Affairs.

Folashadé Soulé is a Senior Research Associate in International Relations at the University of Oxford (Blavatnik School of Government).

Chris Alden is Co-Director of the Global South Unit and Professor in International Relations at LSE.

This event is part of LSE's public event series - COVID-19: The Policy Response.

COVID-19 represents an enormous challenge for the social sciences to help governments and non-governmental organisations respond to the economic and societal consequences of the pandemic. Part of LSE's response to this challenge is a series of online public events that will take place over the Summer Term.

Why not visit the School of Public Policy COVID-19 Resource Centre.

This event in the series has been organised by LSE IDEAS.

The next event in this series will take place at 2pm on 2 June on COVID-19 and Illicit Markets.

LSE IDEAS (@lseideas) is LSE's foreign policy think tank. We connect academic knowledge of diplomacy and strategy with the people who use it.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSECOVID19

Podcast & Video

A podcast of this event is available to download at COVID-19 and Africa: pandemics and global politics.

A video of this event is available to watch at COVID-19 and Africa: pandemics and global politics.

Podcasts and videos of many LSE events can be found at the LSE Public Lectures and Events: podcasts and videos channel.