On August 27, the Australia Africa Universities Network (AAUN) signed a four-year partnership with principal sponsor the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) for research and cooperation.

AAUN and ACIAR have worked together for the last five years, with ACIAR providing baseline funding for the AAUN program.

The results of this partnership are evidenced in 30 research programs forged between Australian and African universities which focus on the environment and agriculture, food and nutrition security, and education related to these areas.

The new partnership signed at AAUN’s Annual Forum in Perth confirms the success of the collaboration and builds further synergy between the new ACIAR 10-year strategy 2018-27 and AAUN’s new Strategic Plan 2018-2021.

Melissa Wood, General Manager of Global Programs for ACIAR, said “ACIAR is forming alliances with proven partners in order to achieve mutual goals and maximum benefit. This includes fostering Australian African programs that work within the frameworks for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s 2063 Agenda, while implementing Australia’s foreign policy 2017.”

Co-chair of AAUN, Professor John Hearn, said, “Africa and Australia share mutual challenges in environment, food and nutrition security, where we can learn from each other, and find solutions together. We build on our shared talent to improve our futures”

‘This partnership builds on the proven success of AAUN and ACIAR and provides us with additional confidence, stability and optimism for Australia’s engagement with Africa.’

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ACIAR is part of Australia’s foreign aid program. It funds and connects agricultural researchers in Australia to the developing world, achieving more productive, resilient and sustainable agriculture. Its strategy for 2018–2027 contains a new emphasis on climate change and a revised gender equity strategy.

Photo caption: Professor John Hearn, Co-chair of AAUN, and Jackie Mbonzi, Project Support Officer, Global Programs for ACIAR (representing Melissa Wood General Manager of Global Programs for ACIAR), signing the AAUN-ACIAR Partnership in Perth on August 27.