"Equitable research partnership is not about Africa, it is about our collective future!" stated panelist Isabella Aboderin at the KIWi & BUA Policy Talk “(How) can African-European science diplomacy promote equitable partnerships?” The discussion on African–European partnerships, with fellow panelists Boris Heinze and Juliette Thondhlana, highlighted that while strategic recognition and good will of cooperation with partners in the Global South exists, the practical implementation is often hindered by a lack of knowledge about the "how to", at times based on a lack of in depth reflection.

Bureaucratic and administrative barriers also have a key role that can make it nearly impossible to reach truly equitable partnerships. Ensuring consortium funding for all partners involved in a project, guaranteeing visibility for all contributors, and supporting conceptual collaboration already in the pre-funding phase were underlined as essential measures to foster equitable research cooperation.

However, equity is not only about structures—it is about knowledge equity. These principles are likewise reflected in the "Africa Charter for Transformative research Collaborations", which the Berlin University Alliance has signed in 2024. For more insights on the Africa Charta, you can listen to Episode 17 of our "Meridian podcast of the Berlin Center for Global Engagement": https://www.berlin-university-alliance.de/media/podcasts/meridian/index.html