WASCAL deeps climate research collaboration with Lancaster University Partnership
Date: 2026-03-31
By: Robert Kwaku Annor
The
West African Science Service Centre on Climate
Change and Adapted Land Use has advanced its global research
partnerships through active participation in the Africa Research and Innovation
Partnership (ARIP), hosted by Lancaster
University.
Representing WASCAL, Executive Director Emmanuel Wendsongré Ramdé joined academic
leaders, researchers, and institutional partners from across Africa and Europe
to strengthen transcontinental collaboration on climate research and
innovation. The engagement brought together institutions from multiple African
countries alongside European partners, reinforcing a shared commitment to
addressing climate and development challenges through science.
Discussions during the engagement
focused on expanding interdisciplinary research partnerships, enhancing
institutional visibility, and unlocking access to international funding
opportunities.
Particular
attention was given to emerging opportunities under Horizon Europe, including
plans to develop a joint proposal on the water-nutrient-energy nexus for
sustainable and climate-smart agriculture in Africa, with a targeted submission
timeline of 2027.
A key outcome of the engagement was
the formalisation of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding between WASCAL and
Lancaster University, establishing a structured framework for collaboration in
research, training, and capacity development. The agreement is expected to
strengthen scientific cooperation and support efforts to address climate change
challenges across West Africa and beyond.
The
engagement also underscored the importance of inclusive, multi-country
collaboration in building high-impact research consortia and advancing
policy-relevant scientific solutions. WASCAL indicated that it will build on
the outcomes by advancing joint research proposals and strengthening its
capacity for resource mobilisation within the global research funding
landscape.
