On 11-12 September 2025, ETTG, alongside German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and Nelson Mandela University, convened a high-level workshop in Pretoria to critically assess the Africa-EU partnership from a decolonial perspective.
As the 𝗔𝗨 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗨 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝟮𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, this dialogue brought together policymakers, academics, and civil society experts from both continents. The conversation was framed by keynote addresses from H.E. Grace Naledi Pandor, former Foreign Minister of South Africa, and H.E. Karin Poulsen, Ambassador of Denmark to South Africa. They set the stage for a critical examination of how, despite initiatives like the “Joint Vision for 2030,” 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 and reinforce Eurocentric structures.
Under the Chatham House Rule, we held frank discussions on:
- The persistent colonial legacies and power asymmetries.
- Reimagining research, mobility programmes and higher education cooperation to move beyond donor-recipient dynamics and build truly horizontal partnerships.
- Acknowledging the past and defining concrete, actionable steps toward future partnerships.
