Viewpoint: Africa’s dynamic future is an opportunity for European universities

Africa is set for remarkable progress and transformation. Central to this development is the need to enhance higher education and research capacities across the continent and the European academic community has a unique opportunity —and responsibility—to foster these developments. 

In the current situation of changing geostrategic positions, Europe could also assume a stronger geopolitical role and become a more prominent player in international politics by fostering academic collaboration with less developed nations.

By collaborating with African countries in the development of the African higher education and research ecosystem, Europe can address pressing global issues such as migration, the widening gap between the global north and south, and the urgent fight against climate change. 

A primary challenge, beyond societal and economic factors, is the lack of resources and capacity in higher education and research, including human resources. Expanding these capacities is essential for sustainable development. The European Union and its universities can play a critical role in supporting this endeavour.

In sub-Saharan Africa, there are fewer than 100 researchers per million inhabitants, which is more than ten times less than the global average of over 1,000 researchers per million inhabitants. According to some estimates, there are only about 10,000 PhD holders across the entire African continent. This shortage underscores a significant bottleneck: even if resources were available to increase the number of doctoral students, the lack of qualified mentors would remain a critical constraint.

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Encouragingly, initiatives such as the establishment of Clusters of Excellence through collaborations between the African Research Universities Alliance and the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities are already making progress. However, more robust and targeted efforts, supported by policymakers and adequate funding, are essential to build sustainable higher education and research ecosystems in Africa.

Beyond humanitarian aid

Redirecting even a fraction of the funds currently allocated to humanitarian aid toward developing higher education and research capacities could yield substantial long-term benefits. While humanitarian aid is undoubtedly required, as it addresses the immediate needs of people, sustainable development reduces reliance on aid over time. 

This can be achieved only through enhancing higher education and research capacities in these countries. Special programmes targeting higher education and research capacity-building would therefore be far more impactful and sustainable than humanitarian aid alone. Although such measures may seem like an additional financial burden in the short term, they would ultimately alleviate long-term costs associated with humanitarian aid and help address other global challenges.

African countries will undoubtedly develop in the coming years, with or without European collaboration. However, partnerships in higher education and research can accelerate this process, fostering sustainable development and addressing global challenges such as migration and increasing gap between global north and south. With economic growth and job creation in African countries, the push factors for migration would decrease, and with development, the gap between global regions will be gradually reduced.

Another pressing issue is ensuring that Africa’s development is sustainable. Increased energy demands will accompany growth, raising concerns about reliance on fossil fuels and unsustainable practices. Contrary to common misconceptions, many Africans are acutely aware of and concerned about climate change. By collaborating, Europe and Africa can build sustainable, circular economies based on renewable energy and environmentally friendly practices. Neglecting to support such efforts could result in reliance on outdated, environmentally harmful technologies, exacerbating global warming.

Europe’s role as a partner

Europe is uniquely positioned to act as a partner and ally to African countries and their universities. Guided by European values of humanism and enlightenment, academic collaborations should focus on genuine partnerships built on mutual trust and African terms. Listening to African voices, understanding their challenges, and co-developing solutions are essential.

While a single university's efforts may be limited, the recently created European University alliances can pool resources and expertise to make a significant impact, especially if supported operationally and financially by policymakers such as European Commission and European Parliament. 

While initiatives such as student exchanges and online courses are helpful, they are insufficient. Exchanges often lead to brain drain, and online courses have limited effectiveness. Instead, the focus should be on providing high-quality higher education within African countries, enabling African citizens to study in their countries, and placing higher education and research institutions at the heart of future African development.

By fostering education and research collaborations, Europe can reassert its role as a key player in global geopolitics. More importantly, such partnerships would help address lingering historical wounds from the colonial era and promote sustainable solutions to global challenges. Migration, the growing divide between the global north and south, climate change, and the promotion of democracy and human rights all stand to benefit from these efforts.

Africa’s development is not just a regional issue; it is a global opportunity. Supporting Africa’s higher education and research capacities is not only an investment in the continent’s future but also in the shared future of humanity.

Gregor Majdič is rector of the University of Ljubljana.