Invest in Research, Innovation and Higher Education to Fully Realise the Potential of Europe’s Global Gateway

Aurora is among prominent universities, associations and research institutions from Africa and Europe to call upon the EU to enhance its strategic commitments to Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).

We emphasize the importance of more European and national funding as part of the Global Gateway’s fifth investment priority to advance competitive European connections to knowledge societies in the LMICs and address shared challenges in research, innovation, and higher education (e.g. health, climate and digital challenges).

Our recommendations:

• Increased investment by the European Commission, national authorities and the private sector, in research, innovation and higher education – in line with Global Gateway priorities – to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and preparedness.
• Europe’s 360-degree approach across all Global Gateway priorities to better integrate research, innovation and higher education to ensure the competitiveness, effectiveness and sustainability of our international partnerships.
• International research collaborations with LMICs to be funded through an excellence-based self-standing successor to Horizon Europe (FP10).
• Establishment of a research-focused advisory group including research-performing organisations and universities, to complement the business, civil society and local authorities advisory groups to the Global Gateway. This will further enhance the scale up of the Global Gateway over the coming years with valuable experience, expertise, coordination and readiness to act.

Read the full statement supported by ARUA, Bavarian Research Alliance, CRUE, ERAsud, EUTOPIA,  DAAD, DSW, The Guild, Slovenská rektorská konferencia, VU Amsterdam, Udice, University of Pretoria and University of Ostrava.