The inaugural Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) conference, hosted by Stellenbosch University, took place from September 29 to October 2, 2024. Bringing together more than 250 academics from 49 institutions across 27 countries in Africa, Europe, and beyond, the conference served as a pivotal platform for fostering international collaboration and advancing cutting-edge research initiatives.

The Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence in Mathematics (CoRE-Math) has been selected as the 21^st CoRE to join the initiative led by The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild). The academic co-leads of the CoRE-Math will be welcomed into the fold by around 200 participants at the inaugural CoRE conference taking place from 30 September to 2 October, hosted by Stellenbosch University.

The Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) has launched a new logo to mark the first anniversary since the initiative was established by the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild).

Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), has underscored the urgent need for a transformative business model in African research collaboration. He made this known while delivering a keynote address titled, “Developing a New Research and Innovation Ecosystem for Africa through Effective Partnership” at the 2024 Presidents Forum of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN).

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild) have launched three new Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE).

ARUA Deputy Vice-Chancellors (DVCs) have held a meeting with their counterparts from The Guild of European Research-intensive Universities (The Guild) to review the progress of work since the epoch decision of their Vice Chancellors and Rectors/Presidents to set up 17 Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) in Brussels last June.

At their recent summit in Brussels, the Vice-Chancellors and Presidents of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild) have 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.

Since 2019, the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities have established a close partnership, at the heart of which has been a joint appreciation that we can – and must – address global challenges affecting the African and European continents much more effectively if we develop new, long-term partnerships based on equity.

The Board of the African Research Universities Alliance, made up of Vice Chancellors from member universities, held two days of annual meeting at University of Cape Town on 3-4 November 2022.

Through the proposed AU-EU Innovation Agenda, announced on 14 February ahead of the AU-EU summit, universities are assuming a central place in the development of AU-EU relations.

Africa has many development aspirations, at the top of which is structural and institutional transformation. This transformation is what will facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other aspirations.

In 2017, the AU-EU summit paved the way for the recognition of science collaborations and the need for strengthening the research and innovation capacity of African universities as key priorities in the African-European partnership.

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

As policy-makers gear up for a summit on 17-18 February 2022 where a new multi-year strategic agreement (2021-27) between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) will be introduced, research universities sent a clear message that enhanced African-European university collaboration should be a key component of the agreement.

Over 200 scientists have voiced their support for the joint initiative of The Guild and the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) on strengthening the research capacities of African universities. 

22 November 2021 – virtual conference

The African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the EU’s vision for Global Gateways prioritising an AU-EU strategic partnership have both set ambitions to develop an African knowledge society through research and innovation. This is crucial to strengthen a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development. We need a new approach to tackle the AU’s and EU’s common challenges, from climate change to health to digitalisation.

Africa and Europe have a unique opportunity to develop their relationship in new, strategic ways, through collaboration on common global challenges that delivers on the key objectives of the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU).

EU budget supporting the Africa-EU Partnership should ring-fence at least €1bn per year for strengthening African research universities, working in partnership with European universities.