Universities and research institutions call for “bold and long-term” joint funding instrument
African and European universities and research institutions have called on policymaking bodies on the two continents to establish a joint science and innovation funding programme.
The call for action, published on 1 June, is signed by 25 organisations, including the African Research Universities Alliance, the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and the Association of African Universities. It comes ahead of a meeting of EU and African Union science ministers on 13 June to adopt a joint innovation agenda.
African and European universities are prepared to support Africa’s development ambitions, the call to action states. “But this bold, comprehensive, long-term vision requires a new funding instrument that is equally bold, long-term, sustainable and integrated. This must be the ambition of the Africa-EU Science, Technology and Innovation Programme.”
Transformation
The proposed programme would fund both individuals and institutions and support research infrastructure development in Africa. It should build on Arise, the African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence pilot programme, an EU-backed scheme that funds early career researchers on the continent. The call adds that Arise should be extended until 2027.
The programme would also establish joint EU-African Union centres of research excellence, the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities said. The primary beneficiaries should be African universities and research centres, and this would constitute “a new African Union-EU model for institutional partnerships”, the call to action says.
Ernest Aryeetey, secretary-general of the African Research Universities Alliance, said: “The Africa-EU Science, Technology and Innovation Programme has the potential to support the transformation of science in Africa and a better understanding of Africa in Europe.”
Guild secretary-general Jan Palmowski said: “The unity of the research community assembled in this call underlines [that] we are ready to play our part in strengthening the African Union-EU strategic partnership [and] we call on policymakers to support us in this endeavour.”