Development Work for Africa Planned in High-profile Workshop
In a discussion event organised on Thursday, experts on the relations between Finland and Africa planned ways to deepen collaboration between different actors.
Last spring together with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the University of Turku signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) whose goal is to advance Africa’s sustainable industry, innovations, and infrastructures. In August, the collaboration was started with a two-day seminar.
On Thursday 21 November, the planning work was advanced in a workshop. The event was taken part by approximately 25 experts. The participants included representatives of 8 universities as well as e.g. the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Academy of Finland, UniPID network, Aboa Mare, Finnpartnership, and Business Finland. The session was opened by Head of International Affairs Irinja Paakkanen and Head of Department of Geography and Geology, Professor Risto Kalliola.
In the workshop, ways to enhance the reciprocity of the co-operation between the actors in the Finland–Africa Platform network were planned. The planning work focuses on e.g. institutional and academic entrepreneurship and expertise in innovations, sustainable development, and future technologies in Africa.
During the day, the activities carried out after the seminar in August were discussed as well as the current projects. In addition, the future operations were discussed and e.g. the concrete actions and goals within the collaboration as well as coordination and funding.
With the Memorandum, the University of Turku works to advance sustainable development in Africa. The aim is related to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 9. Promoting the development of research, science, technology, innovations, decision-making, and skills are the core goals of the Memorandum.