A new strategic partnership between the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the European Research Council (ERC) is set to transform international scientific collaboration, placing African researchers at the heart of global innovation.

The agreement, signed in Brussels on 23 October 2025, establishes structured exchanges between African and European research institutions, marking a shift from traditional aid-driven models to a framework of mutual scientific partnership and shared discovery.

Under the initiative, researchers funded through the African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence Pilot Programme (ARISE-PP) will join ERC-funded projects across Europe. These placements offer access to state-of-the-art laboratories, collaboration with leading research teams, and opportunities to contribute to frontier studies in areas including climate adaptation, health technologies, and sustainable development.

“This partnership is about more than mobility. It's about building mutual scientific strength,” said Professor Lise Korsten, President of the African Academy of Sciences. “African researchers bring critical perspectives shaped by local realities. When those perspectives are integrated into global science, everyone benefits.”

The collaboration marks a major expansion for ARISE-PP, launched under the AU–EU High-Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation and supported by €25 million from the EU’s Global Europe instrument. The programme aims to empower African scientists to lead high-quality, cross-border research aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 for inclusive growth and innovation-driven development.

Marc Lemaître, Director-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission, highlighted the partnership as a model for Europe’s evolving approach to global cooperation. “Science is global, and so must be our partnerships. We’re creating frameworks that allow knowledge and innovation to flow both ways between Africa and Europe, and between research and real-world impact,” he said.

Since its inception in 2007, the ERC has supported breakthrough science through its €16 billion Horizon Europe framework. While the council has engaged in similar collaborations with partners in the United States, Japan, and South Korea, this represents its most extensive partnership with African institutions to date.

By linking Africa’s rapidly evolving innovation ecosystems with Europe’s advanced research infrastructure, the agreement aims to cultivate a new generation of globally connected scientists—researchers who are not only participants in international science but leaders shaping its future.

 

Article by RB Correspondent

Photo/AAS

https://aasciences.app/news/new-eu-africa-partnership-will-strengthen-scientific-collaboration