For a time African universities have been a part of European research projects but they have not been equal partners. They are there. They do not have the same say as the European universities. It seems like this is going to change. The European Union has started something called Africa Initiative IV under Horizon Europe. They are giving, than €600 million to Africa-focused research for the next two years. This is the money they have ever given for this kind of research. African universities and Africa-focused research are getting a lot of attention and money from the European Union.
When you look at this on paper it seems like they are talking about giving some money.. When you are actually there it feels more like they are trying to send a message with this funding announcement. This funding announcement is really a signal.
People who do research in Africa and Europe think the size of the money is important. It is not just because the amount of money is larger than it was before. Because it is coming at a time when researchers from different countries are not working together as much as they used to. It is harder for people to travel now. Politics is an issue. There is not much money available, for research in most places. So setting aside this amount of money for research projects that focus on Africa is seen as a deliberate decision, not something that was done without much thought. The researchers think that Africa-focused collaboration is a priority and that is why they are putting aside this money for it.
The initiative is part of Horizon Europe, not something on the side. This is important to know. It means that institutions from Africa are not asking for help from a program they are taking part in the main research projects that need people from Africa to be involved from the start. European Union officials say that the goal of the initiative is to work with Africa not just to give them money. The European Union officials want to have a partnership with African institutions not just give them aid. The initiative is, about Africa and the European Union working together which is what the European Union officials call a partnership, not patronage.
The Africa Initiatives that came before have made a difference. Over 500 organisations from, than 40 African countries have gotten grants since 2021. A lot of these Africa Initiatives are still going on. We have set up labs and shared information. Students working on their doctorates have even moved to continents to be a part of the Africa Initiatives. The Africa Initiative IV is supposed to keep the Africa Initiatives moving not start them all over again.
The topics show us where things are really tough now. Public health is still very important especially since people are starting to forget how we all worked together during the COVID era. We are still not safe, from getting sick. Climate and energy are topics we talk about using renewable energy and making climate models that actually work for Africa. Food is also an issue because the climate is changing and more people are being born so we need to figure out how to feed everyone. We also see that people are talking about minerals and raw materials which’s important because Africa helps provide these things for batteries, renewable energy and digital infrastructure.
Digital technologies are also a part of this. People usually talk about how they can be used in life rather than just getting excited about them. We have to think about how the country’s run and how people make decisions and what people believe in when we are talking about digital technologies. This is because research is not about the technology itself but also about the people and the world, around it. Digital technologies are connected to the way our society works and the rules we live by.
African universities have a chance to get money from other countries.. It is hard to get this money because many people want it. To get the money African universities need to be good at writing proposals have a team to help with paperwork and know the right people. A study from Stellenbosch University found out that for some subjects African universities get, than 70% of their research money from foreign funders. This means African universities have a chance to do research but they also have to be careful because they rely so much on African universities getting money from foreign funders.
University leaders know what they want to happen. Before the Africa and European Union summits they said that research and higher education should be treated as important as roads and buildings not just as a way to make friends. The Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence is an example of this. They are trying to work for a long time not just on one project. University leaders want research and higher education to be a priority, like the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence is doing.
Support for people doing research is getting bigger. EURAXESS Africa is like a helper that makes it easier for researchers to understand the rules and find the partners and deadlines. This kind of help behind the scenes is really important because it can make a difference in who actually gets the money they need for their research. EURAXESS Africa is doing a job as a bridge, for researchers.
What is still not known is what will happen after the year 2027. People are already talking about the European Unions plan for research. Over 900 universities want to keep working with countries. The future of the Africa Initiative IV is not certain it is not known if it will be used as an example or if it will be the best it can be. The Africa Initiative IV is still a question mark.
For now, the message landing in African research offices is simple: Europe is paying attention. The harder question is whether this moment turns into lasting capacity, or another cycle of short-term projects before priorities shift again.
