Africa

SASUF – South Africa Sweden University Forum

Lund University is a partner in SASUF (South Africa Sweden University Forum) together with 14 Swedish and 26 South African partner universities. SASUF is coordinated by Uppsala University and is a collaborative project between universities, organisations and authorities in Sweden and South Africa. Funding comes from STINT, the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Department of Higher Educations and Training (DHET). Swedish universities co-finance the project. 

At SASUF's concluding conference in Lund, Malmö and Alnarp on 15-17 May 2024, the university leaders confirmed their support for a continuation of the project. A working group will draw up a proposal for a continuation.

Link to the SASUF website

Southern African–Nordic Centre – SANORD

SANORD is a member organisation that consists of universities from the Nordics and southern Africa. The purpose of the network is to strengthen academic cooperation and contacts between universities in southern Africa and the Nordic countries. 

The network was established in 2007 and has member universities in: 

• Botswana
• Denmark
• Finland
• Iceland
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Norway
• Sweden
• South Africa
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe 

SANORD is coordinated by a secretariat at the Western Cape University, South Africa.

SANORD has nine Swedish member universities: 

• Gothenburg University
• Högskolan Väst
• Karlstad University
• Linköping University
• Linnaeus University
• Lund University
• Malmö University
• North Africa Institute
• Uppsala University

Lund University is elected to SANORD's board for 2024-2025.

SANORD offers, among other things, an annual conference, mobility funds for students from southern Africa, seed money for collaborative projects and a "three-minute-thesis-competition".

The 2024 Annual Scientific Conference will be held 4-6 December at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Travel grants are now announced to promote engagement and participation (please see the call under “activities for cooperation with Africa”)

More information about SANORD is available at the SANORD website

Student exchange agreements

University-wide bilateral student exchange agreements have been established with:

• Stellenbosch University
• University of Johannesburg
• University of Pretoria
• University of Cape Town

Travel grant for developing cooperation with South Africa at the SANORD scientific conference in South Africa 4-6 December

SANORD is the prioritised network of thee university for cooperation with southern Africa. The network is organizing the annual scientific conference on 4-6 December 2024 at the University of the Western Cape under the theme "Social and Epistemic Justice: Imagining Sustainable Futures through Agency". 

Call for abstracts is open and will close on 31 July – link to the SANORD website

The university is now announcing five travel grants for engagement and participation in SANORD's scientific conference 4-6 December 2024. The last day for applications is 31 August.  

Link to application form

African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA)

Lund University is exploring possibilities of collaboration with the ARUA network. If you are interested in collaborating with ARUA, please contact par [dot] svensson [at] er [dot] lu [dot] se (par[dot]svensson[at]er[dot]lu[dot]se).

Link to the ARUA network website

An external reference group has been formed to advice and make recommendations for implementing the LU's strategy for cooperation with Africa. The group meets about once per semester.

The group includes the following members:

• Professor Ernest Aryeetey, Secretary-General of African Research Universities Alliance and previous Vice-Chancellor at the University of Ghana,
• Ms Marika Griehsel, journalist with long-standing experience from Africa.
• Professor Göran Hydén, University of Florida.

Read more about ARUA – African Research Universities Alliance

Lund University has an Africa Strategy Group with the task of promoting cooperation with Africa and supporting the implementation of the strategy. The group convenes approximately once a month.

The group has the following members:

• Professor Ellen Hillbom (chair)
• Professor Anette Agardh
• Professor Björn Bergenståhl
• Professor Petter Pilesjö
• Associate lecturer Vasna Ramasar
• Tori Heitmann Jørgensen, student representative
• Pär Svensson, regional coordinator