??Lusaka, Zambia – 21–23 May 2025 – The Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) successfully hosted its first-ever regional conference, bringing together leaders in academia, government, and development to chart a collaborative path for higher education across the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Held in Lusaka, Zambia, the three-day event marked a historic milestone for SARUA and its member institutions, cementing the association’s growing role in shaping higher education policy and practice in the region.
Themed “Innovating Higher Education for Sustainable Development Across the SADC: Innovation for Impact,” the conference focused on the critical role of universities in addressing socio-economic, technological, and environmental challenges through innovation and strategic partnerships. Key priorities included strengthening research capacity, advancing digital transformation, integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into university systems, and fostering transformative leadership across institutions.
Over the course of the conference, delegates repeatedly highlighted the importance of regional and international collaboration. Emphasis was placed on enhancing South-South and North-South partnerships, particularly intra-African cooperation, as a response to current global pressures such as funding challenges and constrained academic mobility. Participants agreed that building collaborative frameworks for research, training, and knowledge exchange is essential for the resilience and impact of the continent’s higher education sector.
Representing Stellenbosch 肆客足球 at the conference were Dr Brent Abrahams from the Centre for Capacity Development in Africa (CCDA) and Dr Nico Elema, Director of the Centre for Collaboration in Africa (CCA). Dr Abrahams presented on “Transformative Partnerships for Enhancing Doctoral Education and Research Capacity in Africa: Lessons from the Emerging Scholars Initiative,” while Dr Elema spoke on “Collaboration and Partnerships Towards Impact in SADC Higher Education.” Their presentations underscored the importance of joint training schools and thematic research networks in building long-term capacity and fostering impactful academic partnerships.
The conference also followed the recent signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SARUA and Stellenbosch 肆客足球. This partnership has formalised deeper cooperation in the sector and led to the establishment of SARUA’s operations office at Stellenbosch 肆客足球, providing the Association with a strengthened institutional base and enhanced operational support.
With a shared commitment to innovation, inclusion, and sustainable development, SARUA’s inaugural conference laid the foundation for stronger regional cooperation in higher education—driven by African solutions for African challenges.
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