Resources

Strengthening the African knowledge society

Since 2019, The Guild has developed a close partnership with the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) to support sustainable partnerships between African and European universities. The African Union and the European Union have a unique opportunity to develop their strategic partnership through investing in sustainable and equitable collaboration in research, innovation and higher education. To tackle the common challenges from public health to environmental change, ARUA and The Guild have emphasised the importance of strengthening the African knowledge society through enhancing African universities' capacities for excellent research.

Universities launch Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence to pioneer new approach to equitable collaboration

At their recent summit in Brussels, Vice-Chancellors and Presidents of ARUA and The Guild launched seventeen research clusters that aim to transform the nature of collaborative research, foregrounding equity as a precondition for excellent and impactful research to address our common societal challenges. The Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) bring together distinguished researchers from universities and research institutes across both continents and beyond the two networks.

Read more about the meeting >>

Find more information on the Clusters here >>

Universities and research organisations across Africa and Europe call for a new framework programme

In a joint effort to foster equitable research partnerships and realise the sustainable development of Africa and Europe, universities and research organisations from all parts of Africa and Europe urge the African Union and the European Union to embrace a comprehensive, long-term vision for the Global Gateway’s AU-EU Innovation Agenda and pilot an integrated Africa-EU Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Programme for the period 2023-2027.

Read the Call for Action >>

Reframing global science relations: ARUA and The Guild summit of university leaders meet in Cape Town

In a meeting first of its kind, university leaders across Europe and Africa laid the foundations for new types of partnerships, grounded on equity and inclusion. Meeting in Cape Town in November 2023, ARUA and The Guild university Presidents and Vice-Chancellors committed to creating long-term Clusters of Excellence. With these commitments our universities are at the forefront of turning into reality the AU-EU Innovation Agenda.

Read about the meeting >>

ARUA and The Guild in full support of the proposed joint AU-EU Innovation Agenda

Through the proposed AU-EU Innovation Agenda, announced during the EU-AU summit in early 2022, universities assumed a central place in the development of AU-EU relations. The Guild and ARUA welcomed the concrete proposals made in the Agenda, in particular the development and strengthening of Clusters of Excellence.

Read our full statement >>

In November 2022, The Guild and ARUA contributed to a transcontinental dialogue about the draft AU-EU Innovation Agenda in Nairobi, Kenya.

Read about the event >>

ARUA and The Guild call for the AU and the EU to act as levers for widespread and coordinated support for the African knowledge society

 

ARUA and The Guild emphasise the critical importance of strengthening African research universities in a wholistic way, calling to action the African Union and the European Union, national governments, public science bodies, and universities and their communities themselves.

Read the full statement to discover our key recommendations >>

Towards a renewed Africa-EU partnership

Ahead of the EU-AU Summit on 17-18 February 2022, The Guild and ARUA share highlights from their past conference where researchers, academics and policy-makers from both continents discussed how research and innovation should become central to the AU-EU partnership in a sustainable way.

   

 

 

 

 

Watch all the video clips on The Guild's YouTube channel >>

Further publications

   

ARUA -The Guild panel: Universities as gateways between Africa and Europe

On 14 February 2022, just ahead of the EU-AU summit, The Guild and ARUA organised a panel discussion as part of the Africa-Europe Science Collaboration Platform's (AERAP) side events. The panel provided a timely outlook on what is needed to further strengthen African universities and African-European university collaborations in the long-term.

Read about the event >>

ARUA - The Guild conference: Strengthening the African knowledge society

On 22 November 2021, ARUA and The Guild brought together high-level speakers from Europe and Africa to discuss how to strengthen the African knowledge society and what role higher education and research should play in the AU-EU strategic relationship. Looking to the upcoming AU-EU summit, the participants and speakers shared their views on how to learn from the past to build up a stronger and more equal partnership.

Read about the event >>

ARUA-The Guild info sessions

In 2021, ARUA and The Guild organised two info sessions directed to researchers and students in African and European universities who are interested in funding opportunities for international collaboration and mobility. The first session, held on 13 July, zoomed in on the African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence (ARISE) programme, providing information for the researchers applying for the novel programme. Organised on 7 October, the second info session focused on doctoral training opportunities.

On 30 August 2022, ARUA and The Guild organised a third info session on the MSCA Doctoral Networks scheme. The event provided insights from the European Commission and previous grant holders on how to set up successful applications. Hear below the practical tips from Lotte Meinert from Aarhus University, and Bruce Talbot from Stellenbosch University, and watch the past sessions.

   

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