Leiden University has been intensifying its engagement with partners in Africa.

Guided by a dedicated Africa policy, we have selected focus areas were we aim to strengthen collaboration with academic and non-academic partners. The African continent offers tremendous opportunities and with our partners on the continent, we could really have an impact with joint education and research practices.

World’s fastest growing region

Leading in these collaborations is a principle of equality. Equal partnership means that capacities and needs on all sides are brought together, to build knowledge networks that take local expertise as a starting point and integrate these practices into local and global knowledge systems.

A great example is the LDE Hub in Nairobi, Kenia. This International Centre for Frugal Innovations brings together researchers and students at Leiden, Delft and Erasmus University to connect to a large Kenian network in the Nairobi-region. Close collaboration with Nuvoni Center for Innovation Research and the University of Nairobi fosters interconnectedness and opens a large local network. At this LDE hub, Dutch and Kenyan students can participate in Thesis Labs or the minor on Frugal Innovation.

Another priority partner is the University of Ghana, in Accra. Together, we are setting up ways to work together more structurally. Many joint research and education projects already exist between the two institutions, and by institutionalising this collaboration, we aim to ensure synergy between these projects, while exploring new opportunities together.

More info

• Leiden African Studies Assembly (LeidenASA) 
• African Studies Centre Leiden

Leiden Africa Platform

In 2024, the Leiden University established its Africa Platform , with 230 members that focus their research activities on Africa. The goal of the platform is to stimulate further alignment, connections, interdisciplinary research and teaching, and will promote more external collaborations with partners in Europe and Africa, based on equity and mutually beneficial interests. The Leiden Africa Platform is governed by the Africa Region Group, whose members represent all Leiden faculties, and institutes such as ASCL, NIMAR, and NVIC.

The initial focus in Africa as part of Leiden's Global Engagement policy is on Morocco, Ghana, and Kenya. With Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa and Mozambique activities are also developed, whereby synergies between various initiatives are explicitly made.