Scottish universities and colleges are building connections with countries in Africa at the Going Global conference, a major international education conference taking place in Abuja, Nigeria this week.
The delegation represents Scotland's growing engagement with higher education and TVET across the continent, highlighted through a special Connected Scotland reception featuring representatives and alumni from 11 Scottish institutions including the Universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews, University of West of Scotland, Dundee, and City of Glasgow College.
Going Global, organised by the British Council, brings together over 300 higher education leaders from 20 countries across Africa and the UK to debate the future of higher education and skills on the continent. The Scottish delegation has showcased their work on equitable partnerships, transnational education, and employment-focused skills development.
Professor Neville Wylie, Chair of Connected Scotland and Pro-Vice Chancellor International at Stirling University spoke at the Scotland reception saying: "Scotland's four-year degree structure, coupled with our post-study work opportunities through Scotland’s newly launched migration service, offers unique advantages for students from Africa. Our institutions are committed to building sustainable partnerships that deliver real impact for communities across the continent."
The reception featured perspectives from African alumni of Scottish institutions, including Dr. Suleiman Ihiabe Isa who studied with Stirling University. He spoke about his time at the university and the lasting impact of Scottish-African educational partnerships saying: “Studying Aquaculture at Stirling made me realise the true meaning of impactful research; how studies in one part of the world could solve problems in other parts of the world. I learnt that for greater impact, studies are not about competition for grades, rather they are for problem-solving through analytical and creative thinking, life-long learning, innovation, effective communication and meaningful collaboration. This has helped me throughout my career both in the government, corporate and development world.”
Peter McEleavy, Africa lead at Dundee University spoke about the breadth and depth of the engagement of the Scottish sector with Africa: “Beyond traditional education, we are committed to capacity-building, whether that’s training staff at partner institutions or providing doctoral scholarships to develop the next generation of academic leaders. Our research collaborations span the continent and the spectrum of national priority areas, from agriculture and food security to drug discovery and renewables, and we are committed to making these partnerships equitable.”
Harish Lokhun, Head of Education at British Council Scotland, concluded: "Building on the success of Going Global in Edinburgh last year, it’s been brilliant to engage with stakeholders from around the globe here in Abuja. The significant Scottish presence here demonstrates the commitment to deepening educational ties between Scotland and African countries. Our institutions are working across the continent to create opportunities that benefit both Scottish and African students and researchers."
Going Global is a three-day event, supported by the Nigerian Federal Government, Ministry of Education, and National Universities Commission, will see participation from countries including Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe
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