Towards ARUA – The Guild Clusters of Excellence

Background

Since 2018, the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities have established a close partnership, at the heart of which has been a joint appreciation that we can – and must – address global challenges affecting the African and European continents much more effectively if we develop new, long-term partnerships based on equity. Both networks have underlined that we need to strengthen the long-term capacities of African science, and that this required new types of science collaboration that goes beyond short-term collaboration, invests in academic careers at all stages, and includes investment in research infrastructures.

Meetings of Academic Leads

Based on the agreed thematic areas and various expressions of interest from member universities of both the Guild and ARUA, a virtual meeting held on January 12, 2023, concluded that each of the Academic Lead prepares a 1-2 page Concept Note in support of their proposed theme. The Concept Notes are due on 10th February 2023.

Next Steps

A joint meeting of VPs/DVCs of both the Guild and ARUA will be held on February 16, 2023, to consider details for proposal evaluation and assessment of the clusters.

More updates soon...

Clusters of Excellence Contacts

For more information on participating as a researcher from an ARUA or Guild member university, kindly reach out to the following contact persons in your university: