Collaboration between African and Europeans institutions of higher education is crucial

The participants attending UNICA’s 34th general assembly and rector’s seminar. Photo: Bildbyrån.

 

“In an increasingly interconnected world the exchange of knowledge ideas, and culture between African and European institutions of higher education is more crucial than ever”, President Astrid Söderbergh Widding said as she opened the university network UNICA’s rectors’ seminar in Stockholm.

“Europe and Africa share numerous challenges from environmental sustainability to health crisis and migration. University networks provide a platform for collaborative problem solving and policy development. By working together, we can conduct research and propose solutions that are informed by a deep understanding of the local context in both regions. This collaboration ensures that policies and innovations are more inclusive, equitable and effective. Furthermore, collaboration can leverage the unique strengths of each continent, turning challenges into opportunities for mutual benefit”, she continued.

UNICA’s 34th general assembly and rector’s seminar

Stockholm University hosted UNICA’s 34th general assembly and rector’s seminar, this time on the theme “Strengthening the Africa-Europe cooperation: the role of university networking”. More than 50 participants from higher education institutions from Europe and Africa attended the two-day event at the end of June. UNICA a network of universities from the capitals of Europe for the exchange of knowledge and experience on common challenges.

The rectors’ seminar was also attended by Deputy Vice President for Human Science Stefan Helgesson and Alice Kollmitz. She is Stockholm University’s student representative in the South Africa-Sweden University Forum (SASUF), a collaboration project between Swedish higher education institutions and universities in South Africa. Stockholm University is also part of the European university alliance Civis, which has partnerships with six African universities.

Read President Astrid Söderbergh Widding's blog post about the UNICA conference