Mehdi El Khatib, Managing Director of University Mohammed VI Polytechnic’s (UM6P) Global Hub in the United States, highlights the critical role of cross-continental collaboration in advancing global research and combating skills gaps.
In a period defined by climate change, demographic upheaval and disruptive technologies, universities are under constant pressure to prove their relevance. The days when higher education could remain comfortably anchored in tradition are gone. Solutions to ‘wicked problems’, such as food security, social inequity and the ethics of artificial intelligence, require institutions to collaborate across borders and disciplines. This kind of collaboration is also essential to address the evolving skills landscape and ensure that education systems are preparing people for the complex employability challenges of the future.
One barrier to these partnerships is the fact that the geography of this collaboration remains skewed. Africa, which is home to 18% of the world’s population and some of its fastest-growing research ecosystems, continues to be treated as a marginal actor in global science and innovation. Research shows that the continent contributes barely 1% of global research output, despite its demographic weight and the urgency of the issues it confronts. For universities, particularly in the UK, this is not just a question of equity; it is a strategic imperative. If universities want to remain relevant in the 21st century, they must reorient their institutional frameworks to place cross-continental collaboration and skills development at the centre of global innovation strategies.
Reframing global partnerships
The imbalance in global academic engagement is more than just a matter of numbers. The traditional model of partnership assumes knowledge flows outward from the North, with African universities positioned as junior partners or beneficiaries of expertise and funding. That framing has long been misaligned with the scale and nature of contemporary challenges.
Consider food security. About 65% of Africa’s population relies directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihood and employment. But in a vast continent of over 50 countries with diverse climates and populations, no amount of imported expertise will resolve local agricultural dilemmas without deep grounding in the continent’s ecological and social realities. Private actors across the continent are coming together, building platforms to structure farming value chains that help accelerate sustainable food production and distribution systems across Africa. These platforms are not just technological; they are also skills ecosystems. They train farmers, technicians and entrepreneurs in climate-smart agriculture, supply chain and product marketing, allowing them to integrate international markets.
A similar disconnect can be seen in the financial sector. In Africa, 85% of the population is engaged in informal labour, and in Sub-Saharan Africa specifically, the informal sector accounts for 62% of GDP. This means that fintech products designed for formalised economies in Europe or North America often fall flat when transposed onto African contexts. This is precisely why Africa has emerged as a leader in mobile and digital banking, developing systems that provide millions of Africans with access to finance in regions typically underserved by traditional banking networks. Importantly, these innovations are enablers of both economic participation and entrepreneurial skills.
The ‘platform university’ model
One of the most intriguing responses to these challenges is emerging from African universities, which are no longer content to mimic Northern templates. They are experimenting with what might be called a ‘platform university’ model. The idea is to unbundle traditional academic functions such as teaching, research and curriculum, so that the university becomes an orchestrator of innovation ecosystems rather than a siloed producer of degrees and papers.
These institutions are rethinking governance, research structures and partnerships to align more closely with the urgent challenges of their societies. At the heart of the approach is the shift from discipline-based departments to problem-led hubs. Rather than housing knowledge in isolated faculties, African institutions are organising around urgent themes rooted in current realities, such as climate resilience, food security and public health equity. This approach is fundamentally skills-driven, prioritising interdisciplinary collaboration and hands-on problem solving that directly responds to real-world challenges.
The ‘platform university’ approach offers a new model for both governance and employability. It prepares students not just to find work, but to lead and drive innovation in industries facing fast and complex change.
Cross-continental collaboration in practice
In addition to this new model, universities across the world are increasingly recognising the strategic importance of cross-continental collaboration. For instance, in the UK, institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh and Imperial College London are expanding their global engagement strategies to include long-term partnerships with African universities. These go beyond traditional exchange programmes; they often involve co-created curricula, joint innovation hubs and shared infrastructure, all of which contribute to skills development across the globe.
These efforts are supported by various bodies, including the European Commission, which recently launched the 2025 Horizon Europe Work Programme. This programme allocates over €500 million across 24 topics, such as public health and the green transition, to promote meaningful collaboration with African countries.
This shift is not just academic, it’s strategic. As global challenges become more interconnected, universities that prioritise collaboration across borders and invest in a tailored skills development approach leveraging local strengths will be best positioned to remain relevant and impactful.
By Mehdi El Khatib, Managing Director of UM6P’s Global Hub in the United States.
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