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Welcome, colleagues, partners and students. Thank you for inviting me. I am relatively new to this project, but from the discussions so far, it is clear that it is an excellent initiative making strong progress, despite the challenges that naturally accompany any large collaboration. As there is already a full technical agenda, I will focus briefly on the high-level and strategic role of Norway in advancing ICT, education and innovation in Africa.
In recent years, Norway’s engagement with Africa has shifted from traditional aid to strategic partnerships. This reflects recognition of Africa’s growing role in shaping global agendas. Last year, Norway launched a new policy framework titled the Strategy for Norwegian Engagement with African Countries. This strategy prioritises technology, education, innovation, digital transformation, capacity building and research collaboration.
The strategy acknowledges Africa’s rapid population growth, economic progress and strategic resources as important factors for global development. Norway aims to strengthen equitable partnerships with African countries to safeguard shared interests and respond to global challenges. Core principles include equality-based partnerships, mutual knowledge exchange, integration of foreign and development policy, dialogue, trust-building and African-led solutions. This project is a strong example of those principles in action.
The strategic priorities include multilateral and regional cooperation, peace and security, democracy and human rights, gender equality, business and clean energy, climate action, food security and health systems. These areas guide the structure of Norway’s funding programmes and international collaborations.
Two key funding instruments supporting African partnerships are UTFORSK and INPART. UTFORSK, administered by Norad under the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, promotes academic collaboration between Norwegian institutions and those in the Global South, especially Africa. Its goals include improving education quality through joint research and teaching, supporting curriculum development, promoting digital learning and enabling staff and student mobility. UTFORSK also supports the use of innovative teaching methods and capacity building in key priority areas such as ICT, health and sustainable development.
INPART is a complementary programme jointly administered by the Research Council of Norway and the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. It aims to build world-class research and education environments through long-term international partnerships. Its objectives include strengthening collaboration between academic institutions, linking higher education with industry and public sectors, and supporting Norway’s international strategies. Africa has its own dedicated INPART funding track focused on building lasting institutional partnerships and global competence.
The current project is funded under NORHED II, Norway’s flagship programme for capacity development in higher education and research for development. NORHED II supports universities in developing countries to produce high-quality graduates, strengthen research output and promote inclusive education. This project builds on positive experience from NORHED I and several previous collaborations.
Project partners include Makerere University, Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), the University of Juba and the University of Bergen. The project aims to design and deploy flexible networks for meteorological and environmental data collection, including audio, image and video data. It integrates artificial intelligence, sensors, climate monitoring, crop protection and fruit fly control, alongside strong research capacity building.
A core element of the project is long-term capacity development through joint supervision of Master’s and PhD students, mobility support and fieldwork funding. These outcomes reflect the success of Norway’s long-term partnership strategy with African institutions.
Thank you for your continued collaboration.
I wish you a productive and successful general meeting.