The launch of a new Africa-centred research collaboration charter will be the start of a movement towards a more equitable research ecosystem, its creators hope. More than 400 universities across the world have been invited to sign up to the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations, which is billed as a set of principles for policy reform and a step change in international cooperation. Launched in Windhoek, Namibia on 5 July, the initiative has been co-created by some of Africa’s major higher education bodies and facilitated by the Perivoli Africa Research Centre (Parc) at the University of Bristol in partnership with the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of South Africa (Unisa). Over the coming months charter signatories will further develop a comprehensive plan with the aim of creating a “radically new approach to research collaboration” and a rebalancing of power in the generation of scientific knowledge. Isabella Aboderin, Perivoli chair in Africa research and partnerships at Bristol, said the core ethos was simple: “The Global North must cede influence and space so Africa can take the wheel.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 06, 2023 23:22 UTC