Alliance 4 Universities (A4U) strengthens cooperation with South Africa to boost mobility and research.

The Alliance 4 Universities (A4U) , has carried out a mission to South Africa in October 2024 with the purpose of strengthening academic cooperation and promoting new mobility opportunities for the university community of the member institutions; the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), the Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M), the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). The delegation was led by the vice-rectors for internationalisation of the four universities, together with the A4U coordinator, who met with several South African academic institutions.

During this mission, the A4U delegation visited six South African universities: the University of Stellenbosch, the University of the Western Cape, the University of Cape Town, the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Pretoria and the Free State University. These meetings explored various forms of collaboration, including academic mobility programmes, joint research projects and the possibility of strengthening partnerships in key areas such as sustainability, social justice and artificial intelligence.

As part of this mission, a seminar on Global Health was held at the University of Pretoria, with the participation of researchers from UC3M and UAB. This event, organised in collaboration with the A4U, addressed issues related to public health, international cooperation and the importance of promoting research in this field at a global level. The seminar highlighted the relevance of collaboration between Spain and South Africa to address common health challenges.

The mission also focused on the Erasmus+ KA171 mobility programme, which aims to facilitate academic exchanges between European and non-European institutions. The A4U took the opportunity to reinforce the visibility of this programme and to promote new exchange opportunities for students and academic staff.

This mission marks an important milestone in A4U’s efforts to boost internationalisation and strengthen its presence in strategic regions such as Africa. The cooperation with South African universities will not only contribute to the academic and cultural enrichment of the participants, but will also enable the development of high-impact research projects that will benefit both regions. The mission in South Africa is a further example of A4U’s commitment to internationalisation and building global partnerships that contribute to the advancement of knowledge and sustainable development.