On 17 June 2025, Dr Hassan Khannenje, Director of the HORN International Institute of Strategic Studies in Kenya, addressed a group of Africanists at the ANU Law School. He was accompanied by Mr Stuart Smith, First Secretary at the Australian High Commission in Nairobi.

The gathering brought together, among others, people from the ANU African Studies Network, ANU National Security College, and the ANU Law School, including Professor Matthew Neuhaus, Mr Joel Odota, and Dr David Lucas.

Over the course of the one-hour discussion, Dr Khannenje explored the shifting geopolitical landscape of the Indian Ocean, the Indo-Pacific, and Africa. He argued that Africa now sits at the heart of contemporary global geopolitics, driven by the relative decline of Western influence and the rise of powers such as China and Russia (The Rest). According to Dr Khannenje, this shift has provided African nations with greater agency, and offers them new choices and partnerships to advance their development agendas.

Dr Khannenje also emphasized the opportunities for Australia to deepen its engagement with the African continent. He noted that Australia’s lack of colonial baggage could serve as a strategic advantage in building constructive and mutually beneficial relationships across Africa.

With a rapidly growing population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050 and an abundance of natural resources, Africa is poised to play an increasingly influential role in global affairs. The discussion provided not only valuable insights from Dr Khannenje but also a platform for meaningful exchange of ideas among participants.

But who is Khannenje?

Dr. Hassan Khannenje is the current Director of the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies, a research and policy think-do tank based in Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Khannenje is an author, consultant, and practitioner specializing in Conflict Analysis and Resolution (mediation, negotiation, and facilitation), Nonviolence, Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs, Peace and Security, and addressing questions of Terrorism and Violent Extremism, especially the complex confluence between religiosity, politics, and conflict. He is also an adjunct professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, and a resource person with Kenya’s Ministries of Interior Coordination and National Government, Defense, and Foreign Affairs. In addition, he is an expert consultant with various local and international media houses including BBC, CGTN, SABC, Al Jazeera, German TV ZDF, and Nation Media on issues of conflict, terrorism, security, and diplomacy.