Sweden-East Africa University Network (SWEAFUN)
Short description
SWEAFUN is a strategic joint initiative between Chalmers University of Technology and nine partner universities in East Africa, led by Wexsus. The initiative provides the opportunity to bring together researchers, teachers, and management of the partner universities to build new equitable partnerships with sustainability as a common goal.
East Africa and SWEAFUN
East Africa is a dynamic region with several of Africa’s fastest-growing economies in recent years and the only region on the continent to have escaped recession during the covid-19 pandemic.
Encompassing nine East African universities, the SWEAFUN initiative offers rich opportunities to explore common interests, collaboration possibilities and synergies. The overarching aim of the initiative is to develop long-term partnerships and fruitful collaboration with universities in East Africa, while contributing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. The collaboration builds on established contacts and aims to explore and strengthen ongoing collaboration with selected partners as well as expand to include additional universities and thematics.
SWEAFUN is a strategic joint initiative between Chalmers University of Technology and partner universities in East Africa led by Wexsus and co-funded by STINT (The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education).
The initiative provides the opportunity to bring together researchers, teachers, and management of the partner universities to build new equitable partnerships with sustainability as a common goal. Activities in the SWEAFUN initiative will strengthen and be coordinated with already ongoing exchange activities with East Africa.
Current East African partner universities
- Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia)
- Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique)
- Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST, Kenya)
- Makerere University (Uganda)
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Uganda)
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (Tanzania)
- Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania)
- University of Nairobi (Kenya)
- University of Rwanda (Rwanda)
Focus and thematic areas
All partners have signed a multilateral Memorandum of Understanding and agreed to explore, define and strengthen long-term collaboration within research, education and utilisation.
SWEAFUN currently consists of six thematic working groups:
- Air Quality
- Data Driven ICT
- Food and Nutritional Health
- Sustainable Energy Innovations
- Fresh Water Quality
- Sustainable Transport.
Focus and thematic areas may be expanded or further defined as a result of continuous dialogue and outcomes of ongoing activities (already resulting in concrete action plans for implementing set goals).
The initiative also supports strategic efforts in international collaboration at the involved universities. This includes among other things maintaining high-level contacts and coordination between the universities, enabling a lasting equitable partnership that benefits all parties with rich opportunities to mutual learning and innovation.
Past and ongoing activities
Background
A long history of connections between Chalmers University of Technology and East African institutions, involving university activities at various levels and across various departments, prompted a dedicated strategic effort to explore, coordinate and strengthen exchange further in four main subject areas: food, water, energy and transport.
The East Africa Initiative started in 2018 by the President and CEO at Chalmers, Stefan Bengtsson, and in 2020 became part of a newly established platform focusing on collaboration with low- and middle-income countries, within the Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development (which is today Wexsus). This also meant that dialogue and involvement of the University of Gothenburg intensified. The 2022 workshop in Kigali was originally planned for 2020 but became postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 1 January 2024, this work on low- and middle-income countries has been merged into Wexsus and SWEAFUN continues as an externally funded project.
