Curtin University has launched the Centre for Australia-Africa Relations, a new research and engagement hub that seeks to fill a \u201ccritical gap\u201d in Australia\u2019s national academic and policy infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new Centre was formally launched by Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne at the Australia Africa Universities Network Africa Forum, held at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the South African visit, Curtin also signed a new strategic partnership with the University of Pretoria, which will facilitate academic exchanges and collaboration across areas including business, law, health, science, engineering, and the humanities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Professor Hayne said the Centre for Australia-Africa Relations represented Curtin\u2019s commitment to building impactful and sustainable research and education partnerships between Australia and the African continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Centre will be a coordinating platform to empower the multi-disciplinary Africa expertise and multi-country African connections of Curtin\u2019s staff and students across all of our faculties and campuses, including our African campus, Curtin Mauritius,\u201d Professor Hayne said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt will also be a unique engagement platform to facilitate and promote collaboration with our external university partners through the Australia Africa Universities Network, as well as with Australian and African governments, a variety of industry partners across sectors, and importantly with African academics, students and African diaspora communities in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Curtin\u2019s Dean Global, Africa Associate Professor David Mickler said the new Centre would serve as an important national hub for the advancement of Australia-Africa relations across sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe new Centre will fill a critical gap in Australia\u2019s national academic and policy infrastructure at a time when the African continent is rising in global strategic significance and the African diaspora is growing rapidly in Australia,\u201d Associate Professor Mickler said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the context of the Albanese Government\u2019s welcome commitment to reinvigorate Australia-Africa ties, the Centre will provide a national institutional platform to help shape, deepen and sustain Australia-Africa relationships over time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Centre will play a leading role in developing greater \u201cAustralia-Africa literacy\u201d – mutual, respectful and informed understanding of each other – by convening public events, research and training programs to raise awareness of Australia-Africa relations and to counter often-negative stereotypes found in some media and political discourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It will also advance \u201cAustralia-Africa science diplomacy\u201d – linking our innovative research more directly to policymaking and international cooperation through providing targeted, evidence-based policy advice – to support the crucial contributions of Australia and African universities, researchers and students in addressing major societal and global challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The announcements were made during Africa Week 2023: Open Africa, Open Science<\/em>, a biennial science leadership event hosted by the University of Pretoria that progresses the idea of science as a global public good through the lenses of the global science movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Curtin is the only Australian university with a campus in Africa with Curtin Mauritius, which was officially opened in 2018, building on the University\u2019s 14-year partnership with the Charles Telfair Institute, located at Moka, south-east of the capital Port Louis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information about Curtin\u2019s Africa engagement, visit here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n