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The logo of the institute was designed by Senegalese artist Mohammed Soumaré.
The colour of the logo echoes the colour of the Sahara desert; the script recalls an ancient plaque once buried under the desert sand and revealed by the Harmattan winds. This in turn links us to the phoenix, symbol of the re-birth and of Gorée Island itself.
The Institute thus represents the rebirth dynamic and vibrant continent built on the ashes of slavery, the pain and suffering of colonialism and apartheid. Because of this it also represents a continent built on the courage, perseverance, respect and the commitment to human rights of its people. At the heart of the logo is the image of a person, because people are our focus and our most valuable resource.
The round head of the person rests on a form that evokes both the shape of Goree Island a person rowing a boat. This signifies self reliance: we must "row our own boat". This image also reminds us that development is a slow process that will take hard work and commitment. It is also a graphic representation of Senegal (Sunu-Gal), which means "our boat" in Wolof.
The lines on which the boat of progress lies are the waves of the sea surrounding the island and which connects us to the larger context of the outside world. The form goes outside the box that frames it because the Institute is innovative, unconventional, creative and provocative: we thinks and acts outside the box!
