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2nd Africa-EU Renewable Energy Research and Innovation Symposium (RERIS) 201823-27 January 2018, National University of LesothoOn occasion of NULSTICE 2018 BackgroundWith more than 600 million Africans living without access to electricity and over 730 million relying on dangerous, inefficient forms of cooking, fast but sustainable development of African renewable energy markets is needed. Applied research and innovative business roll-outs play a key role in boosting this development, helping to secure energy supply in both rural and urban areas, increase generation capacities and energy system resilience. In March 2016, the RECP organized the first Africa-EU Renewable Energy Research and Innovation Symposium (RERIS 2016) in Tlemcen, Algeria. Attended by 135 participants from 30 countries, the symposium was a big step towards better research cooperation for renewable energy on and between the two continents.&#160;Symposium scope and objectivesBased on the outcomes of the first symposium, the Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP) and the National University of Lesotho (NUL) are jointly organising the second Africa-EU Symposium on Renewable Energy Research and Innovation (RERIS 2018) from 23–27 January 2018 in Maseru, Lesotho. The symposium will take place on the occasion of the NUL International Science and Technology Innovation Conference and Expo (NULSTICE 2018).The objectives of the research symposium are to Facilitate Africa-EU renewable energy research collaboration Increase public and private sector participation in renewable energy research Build capacities for applied research and promote university business spin-offsA call for abstracts is preceding the symposium, targeting researchers from Africa and Europe involved in research or business roll-outs on the following topics: Grid connected renewable energy Decentralised renewable and household energy solutions Energy socioeconomics (e.g. policy, economics, legal, regulatory and social issues) Promotion of energy research, innovation, education and entrepreneurshipFor more info on the symposium and call for abstracts, visit http://www.nulistice.org.ls/Symposium organisers and partners (tbc)  LCEDN (Low Carbon Energy for Development Network) Micro Energy International PAU (Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences) RECP (Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme) UniPID (Finnish University Partnership for International Development)&#160;Symposium committeeConference chair Dr Moeketsi Mpholo, Energy Research Centre (ERC) / National University of Lesotho (NUL)Scientific committee Benmansour Abdelhalim, Université Aboubekr Belkaid de Tlemcen, Algeria Venkata Ramayya Ancha, Jimma University, Ethiopia Dr Ed Brown, Loughborough University, United Kingdom Thameur Chaibi, National Research Institute for Rural Engineering, Water and Forestry, Tunisia Seladji Chakib, Université Aboubekr Belkaid de Tlemcen, Algeria Dr Zivaye Chiguvare, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia Emanuela Colombo, Politecnico di Milano, Italy Abdellah Khellaf, Centre de Développement des Energies Renouvelables, Algeria Izael Pereira Da Silva, Strathmore University, Kenya Daniel  Egbe, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria Thomas Hamacher, Technische Universität München, Germany Angeles López Agüera, UNESCO-CLRLA / Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain Martin Meyer-Renschhausen, Hochschule Darmstadt, Germany tbc Dr Joseph Mutale, University of Manchester, United Kingdom Wikus van Niekerk, Stellenbosch University, South Africa Armando C. Oliveira, University of Porto, Portugal Marco Rupprich, MCI – The Entrepreneurial School®, Austria Wim Sinke, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands tbc Abdelilah Slaoui, University of Strasbourg, France Anthony Staak, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), South Africa tbc Dr Dirk Steuerwald, Swiss Academy for Development, Switzerland Dr Sandor Szabo, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Italy Dr Zak Thamae, National University of Lesotho (NUL), Lesotho Dr Daniel Yamegueu, International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), Burkina Faso Abdellatif Zerga, Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES), AlgeriaOrganising committee Niklas Hayek, Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP) Himanshu Narayan, National University of Lesotho (NUL) Dr Thimothy Thamae, National University of Lesotho (NUL)&#160;