On Friday, 27 May 2022, the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) launched its five-year Strategic Plan. The hybrid event included multiple stakeholders present both physically in Accra and virtually.

The Secretary-General of ARUA, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, said the “Strategic Plan is expected to guide ARUA’s move towards achieving its vision which is to make African researchers and institutions globally competitive while contributing to the generation of knowledge for socio-economic transformation in Africa.” Prof. Aryeetey highlighted that the Strategic Plan focuses on four key pillars including i. Enhanced research; ii. Enhanced graduate training & support; iii. Institutional capacity for Research Management and; iv. Advocacy and leverage.

Support for the Strategic Plan was echoed by various members of the ARUA Executive Committee such as Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Sizwe Mabizela, Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University, as well as Prof. Mamokgethi Phakeng, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town who all joined virtually.

Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the ARUA board chair and Vice-Chancellor of Makerere University emphasized the importance of the strategic plan in a landscape where African universities have generally been labeled as less competitive indicating a need to enhance not only the quantity but the quality of the research at these institutions.

Watch: ARUA Strategic Plan Launch Event Recording