The Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) participated in the EAIE 2026 Conference and Exhibition, held from 8–11 September 2026 at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
SARUA’s participation followed an invitation from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), in the context of the EU-funded ‘Study and Research in Africa – Opportunities’ (SRiA-O) project. The initiative seeks to promote Africa as a destination for study, research and academic collaboration and is coordinated by DAAD under the European Union-funded programme.
SARUA was represented at the Conference by its Executive Director, Prof. Stephen Simukanga.
SARUA engagement and visibility
As part of the Conference programme, SARUA participated in the Study in Africa exhibition booth, which provided an important platform to showcase SARUA’s work and the role of the Association in promoting regional cooperation, mobility, research collaboration and the internationalisation of higher education in Southern Africa.
The exhibition provided an opportunity for SARUA to engage with higher education institutions, international education professionals, development partners and other stakeholders from different regions of the world. It also provided an avenue to raise the visibility of Southern African higher education and promote opportunities for international partnerships with universities in the region.
Presentation on higher education in Southern Africa
The Executive Director, Prof. Stephen Simukanga, also delivered a presentation titled ‘Latest Developments and Priorities in Higher Education in Southern Africa’.
The presentation provided an overview of key developments shaping the higher education landscape in Southern Africa and highlighted emerging priorities for universities and other higher education stakeholders in the region. It also provided an opportunity to position SARUA as a regional platform for dialogue, collaboration and partnerships aimed at strengthening higher education in Southern Africa.
The presentation generated interest and provided an opportunity for participants to gain a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing higher education institutions in the region.
Opportunities for SARUA
Participation in the EAIE Conference provided SARUA with valuable opportunities to:
- Increase the visibility of SARUA and Southern African universities within the international higher education community;
- Promote opportunities for study, research and academic collaboration in Southern Africa;
- Engage with potential international partners and higher education institutions;
- Explore opportunities for student and academic mobility and research collaboration;
- Strengthen SARUA’s engagement with European and other international higher education stakeholders; and
- Contribute Southern African perspectives to global discussions on internationalisation and higher education cooperation.
SARUA’s participation in the EAIE 2026 Conference was valuable in strengthening the Association’s international visibility and creating opportunities for partnerships that can contribute to the development and internationalisation of higher education in Southern Africa.
The collaboration with DAAD and participation through the Study in Africa initiative provided an important platform for showcasing the region’s higher education opportunities and for advancing SARUA’s strategic objective of strengthening partnerships and cooperation between universities in Southern Africa and institutions internationally.
