By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
Mogadishu, 26 August 2026 - SIMAD University has opened the 11th Conference on Economics, Public Policy and Administration Development (CEPAD 2026) in Mogadishu, focusing on geopolitical shifts, electoral transitions and economic resilience.
The conference, jointly organized by the Faculty of Economics and the Faculty of Social Sciences, opened on Tuesday and brought together more than 250 participants, including academics, researchers, government officials and students, according to the university.
Rector Abdikarim Muhyadin Ahmed said the forum is examining how Somalia can respond to political and economic challenges at national and international levels.
“The purpose of the conference is to examine the changes and challenges facing Somalia, both political and economic, and to propose recommendations that can help reduce their impact or transform these challenges into opportunities,” he said.
He said disruptions to trade routes in the Middle East, including challenges around strategic waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz, have created new opportunities for Somalia, noting that Mogadishu Port is now receiving direct shipping from countries including Singapore, Pakistan and India.
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“The academic discussions taking place here highlight ways these challenges can be transformed into opportunities,” he said.
Final-year students from the two faculties presented research papers on economic, political and social issues affecting Somalia.
Abdikarim said the research was prepared by SIMAD students and lecturers with support from international experts, and that the university plans to publish the studies in journals indexed by Scopus or ISI.
The CEPAD conference was launched in 2015 and is held annually in Mogadishu as a platform for researchers and emerging Somali scholars to discuss issues of national importance.