The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild) have launched three new Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE).

This is a direct response to the formal launch of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, which acknowledges the importance of research and education – including in the social sciences and humanities – for achieving the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and the AU’s Agenda 2063. The three new Clusters join the Africa-Europe CoREs launched by both networks last June, bringing the total number of Clusters up to 20, now involving over 250 researchers in 60 Universities as well as research institutes.

The Faculty of Arts & Humanities at King’s College London and the Department of Culture, Media and Cultural Industries are particularly excited to be collaborating and co-leading one of these new CoRE, bringing to the forefront global research on creative economies.

The new CoRE on ‘Creative Economies: Cultures, Innovation and Sustainability’ aims to support the development of more equitable, innovative and sustainable creative economies, in a sector that has been recognised for its potential to contribute up to 10% of global GDP by 2030. Co-led by Duro Oni (University of Lagos), Jen Snowball (Rhodes University), and Roberta Comunian (Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries, KCL) and Eka Ikpe (African Leadership Centre, KCL), the Cluster brings together cultural policy organisations and university researchers from across Africa and Europe.

The CoRE will build on the recently completed AHRC international collaborative follow-on grant led by Prof. Comunian, who initiated the African Hub for Sustainable Creative Economies (https://www.creative-economies-africa.org) in 2021, working with Dr Lauren England (Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries) and international partners.

It includes collaboration with a European partner (Aarhus University) and 9 African universities: Rhodes University, Witwatersrand University and Stellenbosch University in South Africa; University of Ghana and University of Cape Coast in Ghana; University of Lagos and University of Ibadan in Nigeria; University of Nairobi in Kenya and University of Botswana in Botswana.

The launch of a new Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) on Creative Economies: Cultures, Innovation and Sustainability will enable fruitful collaborations and knowledge sharing. This CoRE will examine the transformational potential of cultural and creative economies and aims to identify, empower, and protect the value of creativity for inclusive and sustainable growth and development. At its heart will be research and capacity building that will shape the next generation of scholars and engaged researchers, specifically addressing three core research themes: 

1. Sustainable and inclusive business models and markets for the creative industries underpinned by technology and sustainability

2. Innovation, creation, protection and development for cultural and creative producers

3. Heritage, communities, socio-cultural value and inclusive development models.

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You can keep up to date with the work of the CoRE via the website https://www.creative-economies-africa.org and social media channels below.

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/africacreativeconomies

LINKEDIN: www.linkedin.com/groups/12204846

YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/@creativeeconomies

TWITTER/X: www.twitter.com/CE_Africa

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ce_africa

#AfricaEuropeCoRE