In the context of complication of social structures, caused by the processes of globalization and glocalization, the issues of statebuilding and nation-building assume particular relevance. These issues include not only updating of management strategies but also resolving contradictions, fostering tolerance, consolidation of a multi-ethnic population. Research in these fields is in high demand throughout the world. It is particularly crucial for regions whose recent past has been associated with various kinds of destabilizing events - national liberation movements, wars, change of political regimes, etc. Most regions of the African continent correspond to these characteristics. At present, the experience, mechanisms, and prospects of nation-building in African states are analyzed internally and externally. These themes occupy thoughts of representatives of governments and public organizations, and also discussed at major international conferences.

In March 2019 the 1st Social Scientists Conference “State-Building in Africa: Prospects and Challenges” was held at the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy (MNMA) in Dar es Salaam, the largest city of Tanzania. The event was organized jointly by MNMA and the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The article highlights the work of the scientific forum, in which more than 100 researchers participated. Experts in the fields of anthropology, history, political science, economics, international relations, and linguistics from 14 countries introduced their reports during the conference. The members of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences took an active part in the event.