When will tickets become available for purchase?

YAIS II early bird tickets will become available for purchase on January 22, 2024, priced at $100.00 for Yale students, $125.00 for non-Yale students, and $150.00 for professionals. However, there will be a limited-time early bird sale, removing $25.00 of each of those prices.

I want to order multiple tickets at once, for a group of students.

For the early bird tickets, we are not yet enabling group purchases until Wednesday, January 24th, when we will have group ticket orders as a separate ticket option. Please also reach out to us if your organization intends to purchase a group order, as it’s important that every individual a ticket is bought for receives a unique innovation lab profile for the symposium.

How can we get funding to attend YAIS II?

We recommend that university students look towards their universities for funding. This can be in the form of college-provided travel grants, departmental funds, or funding from campus affinity organizations. Here are some emails that students have successfully used to fund trips, conferences, and summer opportunities. Institutions are made for us to take advantage of opportunities such as this one. Please personalize the emails to sound like your own tone and be convincing! They would like to hear why you would want to attend YAIS II and what you would gain from the experience to receive funding/sponsorship.

Can we attend either the conference or the gala?

We strongly encourage attendance at both the conference as well as the gala in order to take advantage of the exciting opportunities YAIS offers to contend with challenges facing the African continent, network with like-minded individuals and field experts, and celebrate African culture. However, you will be able to register for either the conference or the gala.

I am a Yale student, how can I get involved in YAIS?

You can become involved in YAIS not only by attending the conference, but by becoming a YAIS II ambassador! Student ambassadors have the opportunity to be matched with experts from diverse backgrounds and fields, serving as their point of contact. A YAIS Student Ambassador would have the opportunity to work closely with our professionals in the smooth running of the labs while creating strong professional and/or personal connections. This is an exciting chance to network with professionals while playing a key role in the event’s operations. Apply here by November 6, 2023.

What is the timeline of the symposium?

The first day of the symposium will kick off on March 1, 2024. It will feature introductions to our field experts, who will present their industries to their respective labs and unpack a case study from their work that they aim to resolve with participants. The second day of the symposium will have participants collaborate with the field experts to break down their case and devise strategies to resolve the challenge. 

Who is encouraged to come to the symposium?

Everyone is encouraged to come to YAIS. No matter your background, we encourage everyone to attend the conference and gala to participate in the formulation of solutions to challenges facing the African continent, as well as celebrate the African continent’s rich culture.

What are innovation labs?

Innovation labs are seminar workshops on various topic areas including Financial Services, Healthcare, Digital Content Creation, and more. Experts will introduce their industries to their respective Labs, explain some of the challenges they face in their profession, and present a case study from their work that they would like to solve with participants. Participants will then work together through the case study to pinpoint the root causes, identify project goals, and draft approach and implementation strategies.

Where are innovation labs held?

This year our innovation labs will be held in Kline Tower or 219 Prospect St New Haven, CT 06511 United States.

I am an undergraduate student from another university. Where will I be staying during the symposium?

Undergraduate students from Yale will be recruited to host other undergraduate students during the symposium. However, if you do not feel comfortable with that arrangement, then we encourage students to stay at one of the many hotels near campus.

Other questions?

To make sure you have all the information you need and to make this opportunity accessible, we set up a Calendly link to connect at your convenience: https://calendly.com/outreach-jv4/30min.