Summit Bridging Continents, Shaping Futures. Collaborative Pathways in Higher Education between Italy and Africa

Collaboration between Africa and Europe in higher education is evolving toward long-term, equitable partnerships that can nurture knowledge societies and address common sustainable development challenges. The leadership of 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 will gather in Bologna to reflect on how to deepen academic and research cooperation, strengthen skills training, expand student and researcher mobility, and promote the circulation and co-creation of knowledge across and within both continents.

Aligned with the AU–EU Innovation Agenda’s emphasis on co-ownership, mobility, sustainability, and openness, the meeting seeks to reinforce institutional partnerships, foster joint programmes and digital innovation, and support the development of more inclusive higher education systems. Diplomatic representatives from the invited countries’ embassies and consulates will contribute to the discussion, alongside representatives of the Italian Ministry of University and Research, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Una Europa, and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities.

The programme also features presentations of ongoing collaborative projects in research, teaching, and capacity development, jointly carried out by researchers from the University of Bologna and partner African universities.