Workshop on Transformative Partnerships in International Research Collaborations
A Nordic–African Perspective
The KTH in Africa Workshop team is happy to invite KTH staff and partners to this workshop on Transformative Partnerships in International Research Collaborations: A Nordic–African Perspective at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, on 18 August, 2025.
Texts for participants
If you have registered for ths workshop, we would like to encourage you to read the two attached documents before the workshop:
- Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations (pdf 1.7 MB)
- Beyond ‘equitable partnerships’: The imperative of transformative research collaborations with Afric (pdf 714 kB)
Participate
There are two ways to participate in the workshop:
- Option 1: Full participation – Join the Monday afternoon session (18 August) and the Tuesday group discussion (19 August).
- Option 2: Partial participation – Attend only the Monday afternoon session (18 August).
18 August
- 12:00–13:00 – Lunch
- 13:00–17:00 – Workshop
- 17:00–18:00 – Informal mingle with canapés and beverages
19 August
- 09:00–11:00 – Group discussions
About the workshop
This workshop is part of a collaborative initiative by KTH and UCT aimed at advancing more just and inclusive approaches to global research collaboration. We will bring together researchers, universities, funders, and sector networks to collectively identify obstacles to equitable partnerships and share strategies to address them.
The workshop is rooted in the vision of the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations, which challenges us to transformatively reimagine the purpose and processes of collaborative research. In the face of urgent global challenges — from climate change to geopolitical shifts — we must ask:
- How do we foster more thriving research environments?
- How do we position ourselves transformatively in a rapidly changing world?
- How can we work more strategically, sustainably, and equitably with African partners and those in/from the Global South?
- What does it mean to reshape our research ecosystems and education programmes to embrace openness, responsibility, and innovation?
- What lessons can we learn from Africa to inform our own partnerships and collaborations with allies?
The Africa Charter emphasises just partnerships, co-created knowledge, inclusive research cultures and the importance of rebalancing the global research ecosystem through a decolonial lens. For KTH, this moment offers a chance to reflect on our role, not only as a technical university, but also as a global actor in science diplomacy and sustainable development.
Warm regards,
On behalf of the Workshop Team:
Divine Fuh, Henrik Ernstson, and Erika Svensson Rössner