Uppsala University to coordinate national collaborative project with South Africa
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In competition with other Swedish higher education institutions, Uppsala University has been granted SEK 5 million by the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT) to coordinate the project South Africa–Sweden University Forum.
South Africa–Sweden University Forum is a collaborative project involving universities, organisations and authorities in Sweden and South Africa. The Swedish higher education institutions participating are Uppsala University, the University of Gothenburg, Karlstad University, Lund University, University West, Malmö University and Umeå University.
From 2017 to 2020, the project will offer researchers, students, businesses, research funding bodies and public authorities in Sweden and South Africa opportunities to engage in various forms of cooperation so as to strengthen existing relations between the two countries and establish new forms of sustainable cooperation with an emphasis on young researchers.
“South Africa is a country with which Uppsala University collaborates extensively. The South Africa–Sweden University Forum will now offer researchers from both countries opportunities to strengthen existing relations and establish new partnerships. It is also very pleasing that Swedish universities are continuing to cooperate in the area of internationalisation. Cooperation enables us to get even more out of our efforts,” says Eva Åkesson, Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University.
The first activity planned for the South Africa–Sweden University Forum is a major research seminar in Pretoria, South Africa, in April/May 2018. During the seminar, researchers from the two countries will discuss the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other topics. More than 150 researchers are expected to take part in the seminar and a number of associated activities in innovation, education and research will be held all over South Africa in connection with the meeting.
The project will also offer opportunities to seek seed financing for short-duration projects in which doctoral students, researchers and Master’s students in both countries can make exchange visits to initiate cooperation.
All activities in the project will be documented via an interactive platform which will enable people who are not participating physically to access seminars, material and various events.