Higher education institutions in developed economies must prioritize collaboration with partners in the Global South to effectively address complex global challenges, argue Lena Gumaelius, Tommy Shih, and Susanne Nilsson (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm) for University World News. The authors warn that rising geopolitical tensions are threatening academia’s ability to serve as a global public good. Drawing on KTH’s long-standing partnerships with African institutions, they underscore how innovation thrives in resource-constrained contexts and advocate for partnerships grounded in co-creation and mutual learning, not aid or extraction. “International academic collaboration is not just a strategic consideration; it is what underpins a truly global academic community,” they write.
