It is designed to further multilateral academic cooperation between the Southern African and Nordic regions and to strengthen the capacity of all member institutions to address new local and global challenges of innovation and development. The leadership of member institutions meets annually for discussion and planning of joint endeavours.

The Centre augments the many bilateral agreements and collaborative projects between institutions in both regions.  It builds on the deep relationships of trust which have developed between the regions over many years, and on shared fundamental values of democracy, social equity and academic engagement.