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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