Universities urge EU to strengthen research and education links with low and middle income countries

"As efforts gather to take the Global Gateway to the next level in the coming years and the post-2027 EU Budget, we urge the EU to strengthen strategic commitments in and through research, innovation and higher education with Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs)", say 14 universities and research organisations from Africa and Europe on 19/03/2025.

The Global Gateway is a strategy launched by the European Union in late 2021 under the French presidency. Its objective is to develop smart, clean, and secure infrastructure in digital technology, energy, and transport while strengthening health, education, and research systems on a global scale. This initiative particularly aims to support the development of partner countries, especially in Africa.

As stakeholders of the Team Europe initiative, focusing on identifying critical priorities that constrain development in a given country or region, come together for a workshop in Brussels on the same day, the signatories state:

"Research does not feature as a strong component of the recently announced 2025 flagship Global Gateway projects…