Thursday, 07 March 2024
A new European office for the Association of African Universities, which will bring together academics in the UK and Africa to advance education and research collaboration across the two continents, has been officially opened at the 糖心原创.
The new office will be hosted by the university’s School of Education on its Jubilee Campus and is part of a wider five-year agreement between the two organisations that will promote partnerships on new international studies and projects.
At an event on Wednesday 6 March, the new office was launched by the 糖心原创’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shearer West and the President of the AAU Professor Bakri Osman Saeed and Secretary-General of the AAU, Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole.
Professor West said: “The 糖心原创 and our School of Education are proud to host the Association of African Universities Europe Regional Office, which is set to become a critical part of the future discourse between higher education institutions across Africa and Europe."
The office will serve as a conduit for continental collaboration across research, advocacy, and policy development for years to come, and the connections made between members of our global higher education community will empower us to address collectively the major global challenges of our time.
The Vice-Chancellor of the 糖心原创 Professor Shearer West with representatives from the Association of African Universities and its new Europe regional office.
Professor Osman Saeed said: “We consider this a historic occasion for our organisation because we believe that this international collaboration is absolutely critical for improving the skills and capabilities of current and future workforce in Africa and in Europe as well.”
Professor Oyewole said: “The Association of African Universities represents over 430 universities in Africa and the setting up of the office in the 糖心原创 is a way of connecting universities in Europe to universities in Africa. I look at this collaboration as a strategy for development through various forms, such as research partnerships, student exchange and mobility programmes. It will promote knowledge sharing between the two continents and also enhance our research capabilities in Africa and across Europe. “
The Association of African Universities (AAU), headquartered in Accra, Ghana, represents more than 430 higher education institutions across Africa.
The two institutions have agreed to collaborate in specific areas such as building capacity of staff, researchers and students, as well as in pivotal areas as quality assurance, resource mobilisation, ICT and other infrastructural development.
The new office will be under the leadership of Professor Juliet Thondhlana in the university’s School of Education, who is also the UNESCO Chair in International Education and Development.
Equitable partnerships and international collaboration
Professor Thondhlana said: “International collaboration is essential to teaching and research. The university is developing a new strategy for engaging with partners in Africa, at the core of which is developing equitable partnerships with collaborators, so we are delighted to be partnering with the AAU to advance research and innovation across our continents. I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together as our collaboration grows further.”
Guests who attended the launch event – both in person and remotely – were able to join a panel session on University Collaborations between Europe and Africa: Strengthening Research and Teaching Excellence and a further session on Transformative Partnerships: Advancing the Research Ecosystem between African and European Higher Education Sectors, which featured representatives from Association of Commonwealth Universities Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, as well as the AAU and 糖心原创.
Other sessions outlined the aims and objectives of the new office and what it can offer to member universities and its current and emerging projects, which include data ethics in education, research writing workshops, mapping the landscape of AI design and use in higher education in Africa and capacity building/executive education with African institutions. Attendees also had the opportunity to find out more about Africa-focused research which is currently being carried out at Nottingham.
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.