In 2024, we welcomed the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) to the Alliance, becoming the 20^th full member, bringing the total number of universities to 23. The Board’s decision to increase the number of full member universities to a maximum of 25 will be pursued in the coming years, considering regional representation.  

The report for the third phase of the Data-Gathering and Benchmarking Project, with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, was successfully launched. We now have an interactive data portal where all 23 member universities can be benchmarked from 2015. It is refreshing to note that at the last capacity-building workshop held in Nairobi, many more member universities had successfully implemented lessons drawn from the study tours of previous phases and now have the infrastructure for institutional research reporting. What has been accomplished under the project is a testament to what we can achieve when we share and learn from each other.   

Our pilot early career research fellowship continued in earnest, with twelve candidates completing their fellowships, which started in 2023 in our Centres of Excellence. There is a clear and growing interest in this initiative. In the coming year, we hope to scale up the initiative to cover a larger number of young researchers.  

We worked closely with various partners, key among them is the Guild of European Intensive Universities. The two networks celebrated one year of the formation of the Africa – Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) and an additional cluster, the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence in Mathematics (CoRE-Math) was approved, bringing the number of CoREs under the initiative to 21. We thank Stellenbosch University for successfully hosting the inaugural Conference of the CoREs.  

We also engaged Universitas 21 (U21) in a unique partnership to enhance opportunities for early career researchers (ECRs). This collaboration supported ECR-led projects between ARUA and U21 member universities. The initiative facilitated interdisciplinary research, particularly in areas of food security, climate and development, and water management. ARUA and U21 are committed to fostering a robust research environment that enhances the academic and professional development of early career scholars across their networks.

Key among our other accomplishments in 2024 was the bringing together of African and European institutions to co-create collaborative Doctoral Programmes targeted at training 1000 PhDs in Africa every year over the next decade. While funding for this ambitious plan is yet to materialise, the enthusiasm and excitement the initiative has generated is a testament to the significant and strategic place ARUA holds within the Science, Research, and Innovation Ecosystem in Africa. We remain committed to enhanced graduate training and research support on the continent.

We successfully hosted the second in the series of Annual Distinguished Public Lectures. The lecture effectively brought home the need for African Higher Education Institutions to look beyond their traditional roles and engage more with their communities. The lecture coincided with the retirement of our foundation Secretary-General, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, who had steered the affairs of the network since 2016. I would like to thank Professor Aryeetey for eight (8) years of meritorious service to the Alliance. I am also deeply indebted to Professor Sizwe Mabizela, the Board Chair of the Alliance for his leadership during the year, as well as all Board members for their service to the Alliance. The Deputy Vice-Chancellors have all been of immense help to the Alliance in the operationalisation of our vision and plans. I am extremely grateful for the support and encouragement I have received since assuming office in August of 2024.  

This year, we need to bring to the fore conversations about our Centres of Excellence and their sustainability. Not all our CoEs, in principle, are at the same level of engagement in the way we expected them to be. Our commissioned review of the Alliance and its CoEs has shown that while significant progress has been made as an Alliance, there is still some work ahead to ensure that the CoEs can fulfil their mandate as defined in the ARUA Strategic Plan. Accordingly, we intend to intensely engage and chart a path that will ensure they fulfil their mandate.

The coming year promises to be even more exciting for ARUA. Plans are far advanced for the 5th ARUA Biennial International Conference to be hosted by Makerere University (29-31 October 2025) on the theme “Research, Innovation and Artificial Intelligence for Africa’s Transformation”. The conference is expected to provoke discussions around reforms, best practices, and strategies for Africa’s Transformation. We also plan to pursue many of our existing initiatives, particularly in enhancing postgraduate training and ensuring that our member universities remain competitive and relevant.

Finally, I wish to thank the management of the University of Witwatersrand for the excellent backroom administrative support at no cost, and the University of Ghana for providing us with excellent office facilities since September 2024, also at no cost.  

On behalf of the hardworking Secretariat, I wish you and your loved ones a Happy and Fulfilling New Year.

Professor John Gyapong

Secretary-General