EU-CONEXUS is proud to announce its new partnership with the Africa Center of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR) of University of Cape Coast (Ghana, Africa). Together, both universities hope to combine resources to pursue and strengthen global research and innovation on smart urban coastal sustainability.
In line with a political vision of constructive EU-AU cooperation
Long term partners, Europe and Africa have developed broad and evolving cooperation across various policy areas such as research and innovation. In 2022, the European Union and the African Union have developed a “Joint Vision for a renewed partnership” which include “actions to preserve the climate, environment and biodiversity, sustainable and inclusive economic growth.” The short term actions of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda (2022) pursue the objective of “strengthening cooperation between AU-EU higher education institutions, research centers and organisations, and capacity building partnerships …(e.g. by involving European University Alliances..)”.
Therefore, this new partnership between EU-CONEXUS and ACECoR will contribute towards achieving these policy objectives as well as building a joint vision for cooperation between the two continents.
“Coastal Management & Resilience” at core: ACECoR and EU-CONEXUS join forces for smart urban coastal sustainability.
Together, EU-CONEXUS and ACECoR wish to develop mobility and exchange programmes for students and staff and strengthen scientific cooperation for sharing knowledge, expertise and technologies on Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability (SmUCS) topics. Indeed, leading research on SmUCS related topics such as coastal geomorphology and engineering, climate change adaptation and mitigation, blue economy, governance and social resilience, disaster risk management and migration or even ecosystems and biodiversity in order to solve and prevent coastal degradation, the Africa Center of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR) of University of Cape Coast plays a major role in providing knowledge for coastal management and resilience in Africa.
Benefiting from the support of international experts and strategic partners (World Bank, University of Liverpool, Department of the USA, National Geographic, The World Academy of Science…), ACECoR seeks excellence in all its work. Created in 2013 the Centre has produced 77 peer-reviewed publications (including 43 verified by World Bank) and is engaged in various locally and internationally funded projects. ACECoR researchers are active members of the Ghanaian scientific review ‘Journal of fisheries and coastal management.”
By joining forces EU-CONEXUS and ACECoR are combining their strengths and knowledge. Both aim at improving their understanding of global coastal risks by sharing the particularities of their respective coastlines, in order to better understand the challenges of smart urban coastal sustainability.
University of Cape Coast in a glimpse
With its Africa Center of Excellence in Coastal Resilience, University of Cape Coastis already a leading actor in Coastal Management in Africa. Ranked amongst the best universities in Africa – #4 university in Africa – and amongst the most influent in terms of research at a global scale (ranked #24 amongst 400), Cape Coast University welcomes 28,451 FTE Students. ACECoR recently received international accreditation for a cluster of 4 of its academic postgraduate programmes in Integrated coastal zone management and fisheries for PhD and masters’ programmes from AQAS e.V. – The Agency for Quality Assurance through Accreditation of Study Programs in higher educations in Germany and overseas.
Just like EU-CONEXUS members, the University of Cape Coastis also very recognized regionally within its territory due to its contributions to collaborative innovations, working alongside NGOs as well as private and public organisations, in order to provide new products, new services, new processes and solutions for the community.
Sharing values and a common mission to act for smart urban coastal sustainability, this new partnership between EU-CONEXUS and ACECoR marks a great step forward in terms of worldwide collaboration on the topic.