What should be at the top of the African agenda for science, technology and innovation in 2013?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Creating new sources of growth
• Innovating for food, energy and resource security
• Building a talent pipeline for Africa

What tensions and transformations are shaping the debate on values and identity in Africa?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Learning from the past to create a new future
• Expanding interconnectedness from community to country to continent
• Reconciling rural and urban identities

How are partnerships in the region accelerating investment in agriculture?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Enabling private-sector investment
• Bolstering infrastructure
• Developing regional markets
• Empowering women farmers

What progress and opportunities are advancing Africa's financial infrastructure?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Achieving scale and deploying capital in frontier markets
• Adapting innovative technologies and services
• Fostering a conducive regulatory environment

How can the full spectrum of financial and philanthropic capital be aligned for greater impact in funding Africa's inclusive growth?

Session objectives:

• Scope opportunities and challenges for collaboration between development and investment players
• Map complementary skills, risk appetites and investment instruments
• Identify concrete initiatives ripe for aligned investment

With over 650 million mobile phone subscribers in Africa, how are communication technologies catalysing open, sustainable and inclusive development in the region?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Deepening financial inclusion
• Catalysing an environment for growth
• Unleashing the power of open development

Significant challenges to Africa's resilience - widespread unemployment, unstable commodity prices and rising inequality - are counterpoised with the continent's rich opportunities - youthful population, burgeoning infrastructure and rapid economic growth. How can fresh insights and innovations emerging from Africa's transformative connectivity, consumer power and dynamic talent motivate us to deliver on Africa's promise?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Measuring and accelerating progress on new and existing initiatives
• Taking action with bold decisions and innovations
• Acting together through creative partnerships

How are African leaders driving positive change and creating enabling environments for growth?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Sharing best practices
• Tackling barriers to change
• Prioritizing reforms

How can African universities position themselves as hubs of innovation and capacity-building?

Session objectives:

• Explore the future of online education
• Increase linkages between education systems and employers
• Connect academic research to policy-making and intellectual leadership

A conversation with Arif Naqvi about defining private equity 3.0 for Africa's social and economic development

A conversation with Mo Ibrahim about his perspectives on the role of civil society

A conversation with Cape Verde President emeritus Pedro Pires about his perspectives on leadership legacies

How can regional integration reinforce competitiveness across the continent?

Session objectives:

• Examine key tools and drivers for integration
• Define role of the private sector
• Explore implementation of RECs

What sectors and industries hold the most promise for growth and diversification in the next decade?

Session objectives:

• Examine project sector potential
• Explore models of diversification
• Leverage regional comparative advantages

What sectors and industries hold the most promise for job creation over the next decade?

Session objectives:

• Project high job-growth sectors based on national comparative advantages
• Identify implications for human resource needs
• Assess re-skilling the workforce for projected jobs

What new financing solutions are bridging the gaps in the provision of infrastructure funding?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Creating mutually beneficial partnerships
• Establishing appropriate capital structures
• Strengthening risk mitigation instruments

How can Africa's entrepreneurs be transformed into global champions?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Adapting policy ecosystems to bolster entrepreneurship
• Improving access to capital for SMEs
• Connecting to global value chains
• Attracting talent from the returning diaspora

What efforts remain to facilitate mobility of productive resources regionally and continentally, and what can be learned from success stories?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Increasing talent mobility
• Strengthening regional flows of capital
• Freeing the movement of goods

How can Africa's workforce acquire the skills needed to succeed in the public and private sectors?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Addressing skills mismatches through secondary and higher education
• Developing programmes for vocational skills and apprenticeships
• Integrating informal-sector models into the formal-labour market

What lessons from mineral value management can be applied to other resources?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Promoting value-maximizing models of resource ownership
• Wealth funds and commodity exchanges
• Existing multistakeholder partnerships

Social Entrepreneurs implement innovative solutions to social and environmental problems with financially sustainable models. The Schwab Foundation announces the 2013 Africa Social Entrepreneurs of the Year from different sectors and countries across the region.

As one-half of Africa's talent pool, how can women's human capital potential be more fully engaged?

Dimensions to be addressed:

• Increasing the number of female graduates in relevant fields
• Building productivity in agriculture and other sectors
• Integrating women in decision-making and leadership positions