This year’s Times Higher Education (THE) World Academic Summit at the University of Sydney focused on the theme of collaboration for greatness in a multidisciplinary world. The Africa Charter was presented at a fringe event on Monday, 25 September, with representatives from the University of Bristol, including Vice-Chancellor Professor Evelyn Welch.
As Director of the University of Bristol Perivoli Africa Research Centre (PARC) and member of the Africa Charter Core Facilitating Team, Professor Isabella Aboderin said in a recent interview:
“The crises and upheavals confronting us collectively are fostering an ever-wider acceptance of the need for radical change”
This year’s THE World Academic Summit focuses on the theme “Collaborating for greatness in a multidisciplinary world“, so what better place to discuss the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations?
The summit is hosted by the University of Sydney from 26 to 28 September 2023. Representatives from PARC and the University of Bristol will be there, in person and virtually, to run a fringe event from 2.30–5.30 pm on Monday 25 September that will facilitate conversation and open the door for more institutions and researchers to get involved with the Africa Charter.
Professor Aboderin and other partners will look at historic power imbalances in higher education and consider how research and collaborations focused on realigning power structures can present opportunities for future-ready research and allow underrepresented groups to take their rightful place in knowledge production. She will be joined by higher education leaders, including Professor Ernest Aryeetey, Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA).
Event outline
Introducing the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations – its meaning, vision and potential.
How did the idea of the Charter gain momentum, and what brought the co-creators together? This session will feature a range of panellists, including Vice-Chancellors of some of the facilitating partner universities (University of Cape Town, University of South Africa, University of Bristol)
Panel session: What concrete changes are now needed to deliver Charter objectives?
What are the concrete policy and regulatory changes that are needed to ensure the Charter facilitates the truly transformative research collaborations envisioned for the continent? And what are those signing up to the Charter planning to do to fulfil their commitments? Will there perhaps be a new role for the Australia Africa Universities Network?
Facilitated by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, Professor Evelyn Welch and featuring key stakeholders and new signatories to the Charter.
Rankings and Research: New Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings – do they go far enough?
This year, the Times Higher Education launched its Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings. The objective was to set out a platform that showcases progress made by African universities in addressing the challenges in the region in line with Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the global Sustainable Development Goals. But do the rankings and the measures that furnish them reflect the ultimate goals of the Charter: to redress the multi-layered power imbalances in scientific knowledge production globally and ensure scholars, institutions and knowledges from the continent take their rightful place in the worldwide scientific effort?
Facilitated by Patrick Awuah, Founder and President, Ashesi University, Ghana (TBC) speakers will include a range of higher education experts and leaders.
Background reading
- Times Higher Education (iafrica.com) – a piece that indicates the methodology for Times Higher Education (THE) sub-Saharan Africa was developed through extensive engagement with university leaders across the region, in consultation with a consortium of African and international organisations led by Ashesi University
- The Elsevier Foundation. Elsevier in Africa (elsevierfoundation.org)
- Africa-UK research partnerships must aspire to more than “equity”. Wonkhe
- Charter says Africa must “take the wheel” on research collaboration. Times Higher Education (THE)
- More about the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations
