The African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) have issued a joint call for leaders to support the creation of a substantial fund for research collaboration between African and European universities.
In a joint position paper published on 18 February, the two research university alliances; African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild), made recommendations for strengthening African research universities, further explaining their demands, including that €1 billion a year to be invested in African research universities by the AU and EU as part of the renewed Africa-EU Partnership.
According to the alliances, the scale of the common challenges faced, and the opportunities opened up through scientific and educational collaboration, require a new level of investment that goes well beyond existing collaborations in Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ and hence stressed the need for the EU's commitment to research, higher education and innovation to be matched by substantial co-funding from African governments.
Professor Idowu Olayinka, chair of ARUA, urged African research universities to be at the forefront of the new effort to transform Africa and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
“We need high levels of ambition in the European Union and the African Union to confront common challenges, including climate change and demographic growth. It is in the interest of universities in Europe and beyond to strengthen our capacity for joint action in research and education,” said, Professor Vincent Blondel the Guild chair.
Creating a substantial fund for research collaboration between African and European universities is needed to tackle areas of mutual interest, which could include climate change, renewable energy, inequality and migration, public health and digitalization.
Photo Courtesy of Google
Story compiled by Jedidah Mwangi
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