European Commission and African Sciences Academy sign collaboration agreement for researchers

Marc Lemaître, the head of the European Commission's Research and Innovation Directorate-General, and Lise Korsten, the African Academy of Sciences President, signed a new initiative to encourage collaboration between leading African researchers and ERC grantees in Brussels on 23/10/2025.

Beneficiaries of the African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence - Pilot Programme (Arise-PP), which is part of the AU-EU High-Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology, and Innovation and the AU-EU Innovation Agenda will now be encouraged to pursue research collaborations with ERC-funded researchers and to temporarily join teams led by ERC grantees in Europe under the new agreement. The AU-EU Innovation Agenda provides a platform for research and innovation exchanges contributing to sustainable and inclusive development, economic growth and job creation.

Arise-PP has a budget of €25 M, provided by the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument under Global Europe, and is an innovative research and innovation support programme of the African Academy of…