WELCOME TO THE 2025 SOUTHEASTERN MODEL AFRICAN UNION CONFERENCE
On behalf of Georgia Southern University, it is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 28th Southeastern Model African Union (SEMAU) Conference. We are honored to host this dynamic gathering of student leaders, educators, and future diplomats from across the region.
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The theme for the 2025 Southeastern Model African Union Conference is Africa Forward: Strengthening Governance, Innovation, and Integration for a Transformative Future. It celebrates the continent’s growth potential, cultural vibrancy, and global influence.​
SEMAU is more than a simulation—it is an opportunity to engage with the rich political, cultural, and economic diversity of the African continent. As you represent member states and debate real-world issues, we encourage you to approach each session with critical thought, collaboration, and a spirit of unity.
This year’s conference continues a proud tradition of experiential learning that builds global awareness and diplomatic skill. We are excited to witness your passion, insight, and leadership over the coming days.
Thank you for being part of this transformative experience. Welcome to Statesboro, and welcome to SEMAU 2025!
— Center for Africana Studies at Georgia Southern University
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Welcome Message from the University System of Georgia, Director of International Education
Tammy Rosner, Ed.D.
It is a pleasure and honor to warmly welcome all distinguished guests and students for another exciting and impactful Southeast Model African Union (SEMAU) conference. This annual event, organized by the University System of Georgia’s African Council, is a beacon of diplomacy, cooperation, and youth leadership.
SEMAU is a testament to our commitment to fostering a deeper understanding of African affairs, promoting dialogue, and nurturing the leadership skills of our future diplomats, policymakers, and global citizens.
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The University System of Georgia’s African Council, in collaboration with Georgia Southern University, our esteemed host university, embraces the spirit of unity that is the core of any union. We can work together towards a brighter future by coming together as students and young leaders from many backgrounds and disciplines for this exciting conference.
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Like those before, this year’s conference will be a platform for engagement, learning, and transformation. You, our student delegates, are the architects of change, and you hold the power to make a real impact in the world.
Message from the Chair, University System of Georgia Africa Council (USAC)
Charles Ubah, Ph.D.
Dear Honorable Guest, Delegates, and Faculty Advisors:
As Chair of the University System of Georgia Africa Council (a consortium of 26 public universities and colleges, including some private institutions), it gives me the greatest pleasure and honor to welcome you to the 28th annual Southeast Model African Union Conference at Georgia Southern University. SEMAU Conference provides a unique experience because the University System Africa Council (USAC) is the only one of the four World Regional Councils set up by the Board of Regents’ System Council on International Education (SCIE) that engages students in this experiential exercise to practice the art of diplomacy, while, at the same time, learn about a particular continent-Africa and the issues facing it, and also to explore possible solutions to its problems. SEMAU itself is a simulation of the annual meeting of Heads of State of the African Union (AU), and it is really a big Conference on African affairs that gives students an unprecedented opportunity to gain experience about all facets of African life.​
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To the student delegates, this conference is student-focused, therefore you are at the center of gravity. As such, it is indeed a pleasure to have you at the 2025 SEMAU Conference. You have selected a particular African country to represent. As ambassadors of the countries you are representing, you must take on the character of your selected countries, and that requires that you understand very intimately the position of your country on the issues being debated in your various committees. Under the guidance of your esteemed faculty advisors, you have spent the last few months in intense preparation, attending lectures, researching your individual countries and agenda topics, practicing the rules, and honing your debate skills. Through your semester practice, you have diligently informed yourselves, not only about African affairs in general, but also about the nature, policies, and attitudes of the individual country you are representing at this Conference. I have no doubts that you are now ready with the required knowledge and skills for effective deliberation in your various committees in the three days of the Conference. In the most African spirit, your task is to work collaboratively as a team with your fellow delegates, as ambassadors and policy makers representing African countries, to find African solutions to African problems. At the end of your deliberations, the resolutions you passed will be sent to the African Union Mission in Washington, DC, for consideration and they may end up at the African Union. Headquarters at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Thus, your work here is not just theoretical exercise, but one with practical implications that may impact the work of the African Union.
This simulation of the proceedings of heads of state and government of the African Union (AU) is a splendid exercise. The exercise is designed not only to enrich your understanding of African affairs, but also to hone your diplomatic, leadership and conflict resolution skills. It also constitutes firsthand experiential learning or learning beyond the classroom experience, which are very much in line with the features of two educational pillars that the University System of Georgia increasingly emphasizes: the acquisition of global or international competence and firsthand experiential learning. These are defining skills of the twenty-first century that give competitive advantage in all occupations. Therefore, USAC congratulates you so highly for being very much in step with some of the urgent drives that the University System of Georgia and the world in general values immensely.
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Beyond providing fantastic opportunity for high-impact learning and well-established global competitive advantage skills, the SEMAU Conference also creates opportunity for fraternization and lifelong friendships. Therefore, take the time to have fun and socialize especially during the African Night on Friday and make new friends and rekindle old friendships.
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To the faculty advisors, there is no amount of thanks that is enough for your dedication for your students and to the cause. Year after year for 26 years, you spent countless hours outside your normal course load to recruit, prepare, and coach your students for this model. There is no iota of doubt whatsoever, that you are a true believer to the cause and no question among the best that the University System of Georgia has to offer. For this labor of love, I am immensely grateful and lucky to serve as your Chair.
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We must extend our utmost gratitude to our host institution, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, its extended communities, and to the 28th SEMAU Director Conference, Dr. Akiv Dawson, Co-Director, Dr. Cathy Skidmore Hess, and the members of the committee for the planning and preparation for this year’s Conference. On behalf of the University System of Georgia Africa Council, again, welcome to the 28th Southeast Model African Union Conference. We wish you a phenomenally successful Conference.
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Thank you and may God Almighty continue to bless you.
Welcome from the College of Behavioral & Social Sciences
Ryan D. Schroeder, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Southeast Model African Union Participants,
The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (CBSS) at Georgia Southern University is proud to sponsor the 2025 SEMAU conference and welcome each of you to our beautiful Statesboro
campus. SEMAU perfectly reflects the core values of Culture, Belonging, Science, and Service that guide our work in support of our mission to build safe, strong, healthy communities. At
Georgia Southern, your delegations will find a community of passionate scholars who are dedicated to international engagement, strengthening shared cultural values and understanding, and creating a welcoming environment for all. I look forward to meeting each of you in November and to a lively, spirited, and engaging SEMAU conference.
Dina Walker-DeVose, Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Engagement and Belonging
Welcome to SEMAU 2025,
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Greetings and welcome to the 2025 Southeastern Model African Union (SEMAU) Conference, proudly hosted by Georgia Southern University!
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As the Assistant Dean of Engagement and Belonging, I am delighted to welcome the delegates, faculty, and guests to our campus. We are honored to host such a vibrant gathering of future leaders and scholars committed to exploring African unity, diplomacy, and innovation.
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Your presence here reflects a shared dedication to dialogue, learning, and global citizenship. SEMAU is not only an academic exercise but also a powerful opportunity to build bridges of understanding and foster meaningful connections across cultures and communities.
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We are truly excited to have you with us and hope you feel welcomed, supported, and inspired throughout your time in Statesboro. Thank you for being part of this important experience.​
