Centring Respect, Dignity, and Care in Global Partnerships

The SANORD 2025 Conference, hosted by Aarhus University from 12–15 August 2025, brought together over 230 delegates from 39 universities across the Global North and South to explore what equitable collaboration truly means.

Under the theme “Knowledge Economies in a Changing World,” discussions highlighted the need to ground global partnerships in respect, dignity, and care. Keynotes by Professor Divine Fuh (University of Cape Town) and Dr Sylvie Namwase (Makerere University) challenged institutions to centre African knowledge systems, build partnerships based on empathy and trust, and rethink how academic collaboration shapes a just and sustainable world. As SANORD prepares for the 2026 Conference at the University of Namibia (UNAM), these reflections continue to guide the network’s mission to build transformative, inclusive, and resilient partnerships across regions.