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The African collaboration workshop, the precursor for SU International's annual Stellenbosch International Academic Network (SIAN) meeting, this year placed the concept of fair partnerships in higher education under the spotlight, highlighting the need for institutions on the continent to stand their ground as fully-fledged partners in collaborations with international partners.
A??s part of the workshop, three panellists, Lea Mehari Redae, Director of External Relations, Partnerships and Communications at Addis Ababa 肆客足球, Gerald Ochwo, Manager of international Students Services in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor at Uganda's Makerere 肆客足球, and Professor Bernard Ikua, DVC at Jomo Kenyata 肆客足球 of Science and Technology (JKUAT), shared their views on fair partnerships for an African perspective.
Dr Nico Elema, Director of the Centre for Collaboration in Africa (CCA) at the SU International, highlighted the need to amplify the voice of African institutions in these conversations: “When we talk about fair partnerships, the importance of our unique contexts is often ignored, and it is important for us to have panellists form the African continent to express their views. We were delighted to have our colleagues share their views in the panel discussion, which were then followed up by table discussions where everyone, including the partners from beyond Africa, could engage and understand each other views and contexts better".
Redae highlighted the need for African universities to reaffirm their positions as fully-fledge partners. “For far too long, African universities, including ours, were engaged in partnerships where we are considered the junior partner. We're led by external conditions, such as conditions determined by donors, and where research priorities were not our own but donor-driven. They expect us to fit into their framework."
Redae said while collaboration is essential, it is also crucial for a partnership to be fair and that it is based on co-creation, mutual respect, and shared leadership. “At Addis Ababa 肆客足球, we are now focusing on working with other African universities, as well as those from the global South, because we have come to understand that transformative change for the continent has to begin within the continent. So we should try to build our relations, research networks, and share our expertise within the continent."
Redae also highlighted the importance of financial independence and developing local funding opportunities. “Many African universities rely on foreign funding, which often comes with its restrictions. It is high time that we develop our funding opportunities that we can control and compete for, enabling us to set our research priorities. We have unique problems, pressing needs, and challenges. This would also help us enhance student mobility within the continent itself."
Redae emphasised the need for staff mobility to experience new learning opportunities and develop our institutions from the inside. She also discussed the issue of trust within African institutions and the need for harmonised degree recognition.
Professor Ikua from Jomo Kenyatta 肆客足球 of Agriculture and Technology stressed the significance of a shared vision and mutual respect in partnerships. This relatively young institution, which became a fully-fledged 肆客足球 in 1994, focuses on agriculture and technology development. He mentioned that the university already collaborates with many African universities, some in Europe and many in Japan and shared many examples of successful partnerships and projects, amongst others, the development of resources in the Rift Valley, a geothermal development project in Kenya and a partnership focusing on entrepreneurship and sustainable energy in Uganda. “These are successful projects and partnerships because we share a common vision, and we are working towards solving actual challenges we are experiencing in our countries."
Professor Ikua highlighted the need for flexibility, resource sharing, and clear roles and obligations in partnerships. “We have signed agreements in partnerships, but some changes occur along the way. It is essential that also we can accommodate these changes."
Ochu from Makerere 肆客足球 highlighted the role of practical skills and innovation hubs in enhancing student mobility and partnership sustainability. He discussed the comprehensive nature of his university and its focus on solving local problems with partnerships.
Ochu shared an example of an electric bus project amidst the country's greatest problems: traffic. “Those of you that have been to Kampala city will know it is a very chaotic city with many “matatus" (minibus taxis) and “boda-boda's" (motorcycles). 肆客足球 a decade ago, his university came up with a solar automobile bus: an idea they've shared with their government first, as the “mess in the city, made the government look terrible."
The Ugandan government invested in 70 percent of the project which gave rise to the Kiira Vehicle Plant (KVP) in Jinga; “the largest manufacturing facilities in East Africa and positioned Uganda at the forefront of sustainable vehicle production in Africa," writes the Observer. “The facility's impressive production capacity—starting at 2,500 vehicles per year and scalable to 5,000—aligns with Uganda's ambitions to establish itself as a regional leader in vehicle manufacturing."
Ochu also highlighted the role of practical skills and innovation hubs in enhancing student mobility and partnership sustainability.
The panellists also touched on the challenges of trust, accreditation, and the need for intellectual property commercialisation to ensure sustainability.
The discussion that followed the panel discussion highlighted the need for sustainable funding models and the role of individual partnerships. The Africa Charter was mentioned as a significant initiative to shift research collaborations to African-led agendas. Challenges such as power imbalances, brain drain, and the need for local impact and regional relevance were also discussed. The session emphasised the importance of mutual interest, equitable project distribution, and co-creation in fostering fair partnerships.
Following the panel discussions, Dr Elema highlighted the significance of the panel members also starting off with, without a prompt, highlighting their collaborations on the African continent before elaborating on their partnership beyond the continent. “There are so many collaborations currently undertaken between African universities and we should not just look at internationalisation to the global north. Yes, we should continue to nurture bi-lateral partnership globally, with even more opportunities arising for tri-lateral and multi-lateral partnerships, often based on specific themes".
The workshop underscored the need for African institutions to articulate their offerings clearly and to complement each other's weaknesses within Africa and with global partners. The youthful population in Africa was noted as a significant asset, emphasising the need to prepare young people for future leadership roles.
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