The University of Bologna hosted its strategic African partners to discuss common challenges and future directions in scientific cooperation between Italy and Africa. Collaborative initiatives in research and education with partner universities in Africa were explored in a series of discussions on 15 and 16 December in Bologna.
The event, Bridging Continents, Shaping Futures, opened with presentations by the Rectors and Vice-Rectors of eight leading African universities – Addis Ababa University, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Université de Carthage, Université de Tunis–El Manar, University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana, University of Pretoria, and University of the Witwatersrand – on the strategic vision and internationalisation priorities of their institutions. These presentations were followed by a dialogue with the Rector of the University of Bologna, the Vice-Rector for International Relations, the Delegate for Cooperation and Development, as well as the South African Ambassador to Rome and the Tunisian Consul in Bologna.
The second day focused on sharing ongoing activities with partner institutions, spanning multiple initiatives – particularly the ARUA–The Guild Clusters of Research Excellence, five PNRR–TNE projects (Achieve-IT, Afya Moja, MARE, SHARE_Africa, UNITAFRICA), Una Europa – Africa Task Force initiatives, and joint study programmes. Representatives from The Guild, Una Europa, and University of Bologna faculty, together with African colleagues, presented achievements to date and plans for the coming months.
Following two online interventions by representatives of the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), an extensive roundtable with African governance representatives allowed participants to collectively identify priorities, objectives, and potential instruments for future collaborations. The event focused on building a cooperative model that is equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and long-lasting, leveraging inter-institutional relationships, strengthening network-to-network connections, and contributing concretely to closer collaboration between universities across Europe and Africa.
