SETU recently welcomed representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to its Kilkenny Road campus in Carlow to celebrate a decade of successful academic and research collaborations with African universities.
Maurice Harnett, Deputy Director of the Africa Unit, and Martin Fynn, Southern Africa Desk, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, met with ten SETU researchers to discuss their work and the shared impact of Ireland’s international engagement across sub-Saharan Africa. The department also offered insight into Ireland’s strategic role in political, security, and human rights policy in the region.
Expanding partnerships
What began as a single collaboration with Makerere University in Uganda has since developed into a broad network of partnerships with leading institutions across East and Southern Africa. These include Wolaita Sodo University in Ethiopia, Universidade Rovuma in Mozambique, and Stellenbosch University in South Africa, among others. SETU researchers are also involved in African-led networks such as the Network for Education and Multidisciplinary Research (NEMRA), working alongside African scholars to tackle issues ranging from global health and nutrition to entrepreneurship and education.
Grounded in global goals
Projects are underpinned by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the human rights framework, and a shared commitment to ethical research in the Global South. SETU’s research agenda spans multiple disciplines, including soil health, spatial planning, and education systems, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and local engagement.
Diverse projects with real impact
SETU researchers presented their work during the visit. Professor Marie Claire Van Hout, Vice President of Research, Innovation and Impact at SETU, spoke of her socio-legal research with vulnerable populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr David Ryan and Colm O’Connor, Computing Services Senior Technical Officer at SETU, outlined the Building Resilience Through Education (BRTE) project, a Horizon mobility project in collaboration with University College Dublin, Wolaita Sodo University, Concern Worldwide, KPMG, University of Bergamo and the Wolaita Development Association in the South Ethiopia Region, an initiative supporting resilience through education and mobility.
“Mobility doesn’t just connect people - it reshapes how we think, collaborate, and deliver impact. This is just as relevant in the southeast of Ireland as it is in southwest Ethiopia.”
Dr David Ryan, Associate Vice President of Sustainability at SETU.
Shared vision
Dr Adriana Cunha Neves, Lecturer at SETU, who collaborates with the Universidade Rovuma in Mozambique, highlighted the value of building long-term relationships.
“We’re excited to work on projects that matter to communities, draw on our mutual strengths, and align closely with SETU’s priorities and the values-driven approach of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.”
Dr Adriana Cunha Neves, SETU.
This ten-year milestone marks SETU’s ongoing commitment to inclusive, ethical, and globally impactful research partnerships.
For further information on partnerships, collaborations, research and scholarship between SETU and universities in East and Southern Africa, please contact [email protected].