AFRICA-EUROPE
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Mathematics cluster a milestone in Africa-Europe partnership

The Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoREs) initiative has reached a symbolic milestone with the addition of its 21st cluster – this one focused on mathematics (CoRE-Math).

The expansion comes as the initiative prepares for its inaugural conference at the end of the month, highlighting the growing maturity of the collaboration between leading universities on the two continents.

The CoRE initiative is a flagship project of the partnership between the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild).

The two organisations launched 17 clusters in June 2023, and added three more three months later.

ARUA and The Guild describe their CoREs as “a new form of collaboration between some of the best researchers from both continents, striving for equitable partnerships in an unequal world”.

Newest addition

The latest cluster is a partnership between 16 structures in 12 countries, the two networks said in a joint statement this week. This includes universities in their respective folds, as well as other universities and representatives from private industry, heralding a “new level of transcontinental and transdisciplinary collaboration”.



A map showing the location of the new cluster’s participating structures. Image: supplied

The CoRE-Math co-leads are professors John Magero Mango of Makerere University in Uganda, and Bengt Ove Turesson of Uppsala University in Sweden.

The cluster builds on the Eastern Africa Universities Mathematics Programme, which was established in 2002. In this new phase, that programme will become part of the CoRE-Math collaborative activities with the new title, Europe-Africa Universities Mathematics Programme.

This signals the programme’s “expanding ambition” to operate in all parts of Africa and Europe, addressing a “wider spread of demands” from societies on the two continents.

Development counts

The CoRE-Math aims to develop a collaborative PhD programme in mathematics that delivers “high-quality, sustainable training to meet the demand for well-trained mathematicians in academia and society”.

In its cluster abstract, the CoRE states that it will “support socio-economic development in Africa” – not only by enhancing “multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research”, but also by promoting “the applications of mathematics beyond academia”.

John Gyapong, the secretary-general of ARUA, said the new cluster “represents an exciting addition to the scope of collaborative research in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), particularly in Africa, where the contribution of mathematics has not been prominent”.

Jan Palmowski, secretary-general of The Guild, said there “is a huge need for research expertise in mathematics in academia and business” – not only in Africa, but also in Europe.

To achieve its goals, CoRE-Math intends to create platforms for academia-industry interaction and interdisciplinary research. These platforms will include working groups, contact workshops, industry and innovation days, modelling weeks and statistics offices.

Palmowski added: “We are excited, not only about the quality of the new cluster and its dedication to strengthening the field of mathematics, but also about its huge potential to collaborate with other clusters … it will make the whole initiative stronger.”

Priority areas

The CoRE initiative’s 21 clusters are grouped together in the four thematic areas outlined in the AU-EU Innovation Agenda: public health, the green transition, innovation and technology, and capacities for science. Mathematics plays a role in each.

The four areas were selected as joint priorities by the African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) in pursuit of their respective Agenda 2063 and Global Gateway strategy.

ARUA and The Guild say their CoRE initiative is characterised by a “commitment to societal transformation, as each cluster focuses on acute societal needs”.

PhD programmes

The CoRE-Math’s planned doctoral programme aims to produce graduates proficient in mathematics and computing skills who are “well-prepared to adapt to and excel in a rapidly evolving job market, thereby increasing productivity”.

The launch of the new cluster comes just over a month after ARUA announced the approval of 16 new collaborative PhD programmes, set to launch in January 2026.

The new PhD programmes, expected to be funded by the Mastercard Foundation, aims to deliver 1,000 PhD holders annually in seven cohorts over 10 years.

PhD training is a key objective of each of the 21 research clusters that ARUA shares with The Guild, and is expected to be high on the agenda at the forthcoming inaugural CoRE conference due to take place in South Africa from 29 September to 2 October 2024.

Conference in the Cape Winelands

Hosted by Stellenbosch University (SU), the conference is expected to have more than 200 participants from over 49 universities and other institutions spread across 27 countries in Africa, Europe and beyond.

“They will be gathering in-person and online to discuss their experiences from the first year of the CoRE initiative, make concrete plans for the years ahead, and engage with African and European policymakers also attending to show how the CoREs are already contributing to the AU-EU Innovation Agenda,” ARUA and The Guild said.

Professor Funmi Olonisakin, the vice-president of International, Engagement and Service at King’s College London (KCL), is on the draft programme as a keynote speaker. Her address is expected to be along similar lines to her public lecture at an ARUA event recently.

In that input, she challenged the notion of the university as an isolated ‘ivory tower’ or ‘shiny house on the hill’, calling on universities to, instead, embrace their public purpose of tackling societal challenges head-on. She addressed African universities, in particular, but her message has universal appeal.

The second keynote address will be delivered by Professor Thuli Madonsela, Chair for Social Justice in SU’s faculty of law. Her talk will be on ‘Social Justice and Transdisciplinary Research: Why Collaborate?’

Before joining SU, Madonsela held the position of Public Protector of South Africa from 2009 to 2016. She was widely recognised for her fearless pursuit of justice and accountability, particularly in high-profile cases of corruption and maladministration.

Policy round table

A keenly anticipated item on the draft programme is a round table between university delegates and policymakers.

Confirmed speakers include Botho Kebabonye Bayendi, the director of strategic planning and delivery at the African Union Commission, Dr Laurent Bochereau, the research and innovation counsellor at the EU Delegation to the AU, and Aidan Darker, the director of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom.

Representatives of South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology, and the National Research Foundation are also expected to participate in the discussion.

An important goal of the inaugural CoRE conference is for the participants to become better acquainted with each other and the work of the 21 clusters.

Each cluster will get to make a presentation in a plenary session, and the clusters will also get together in the initiative’s four thematic groupings to pursue synergy.

In addition, individual cluster sessions will be held in parallel to enable members of the clusters to “learn about, and engage with, colleagues from other clusters, and to explore avenues for collaboration”.

The heads of ARUA and The Guild will co-chair a meeting of the CoRE steering committee. The conference will be the first opportunity for many of the participants to interact with Gyapong, who took over the reins at ARUA from its founding secretary-general, Ernest Aryeetey, on 1 August 2024.

Bids for funding

In a statement in June marking the first anniversary of their CoRE initiative, ARUA and The Guild said the clusters used the first year of their existence to hone their research strategies, launch masterclasses for masters and PhD students, host inter- and transdisciplinary debate, and make new connections.

Most of the clusters have also made “ambitious bids” for third-party funding. Conference participants will, therefore, undoubtedly be interested in the plenary conference session on ‘research grants and opportunities’, which will take place in hybrid mode.