The Research and Innovation Directorate (RID) hosted a representative from  Uppsala University, Sweden, on Wednesday 8th April 2026, to explore avenues for collaboration in research and knowledge exchange.

Ms. Helin Backman Kartal who is the South Africa–Sweden University Forum (SASUF) Project Lead, was on a familiarization visit to the University of Ghana to explore opportunities for research collaboration and developing partnership models, and institutional support structures for international and intra-African engagements.

The SASUF is an alliance of partner universities across Sweden and South Africa which brings leading researchers, teachers, students and other stakeholders together to develop solutions to challenges posed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030.

The Director, Prof. David Dodoo-Arhin, welcomed Ms Backman Kartal, and presented an overview of RID’s mandate, and highlighted UG’s strategic objective of building partnerships. He outlined the areas of support for research and the role of the Directorate in facilitating a vibrate research environment and the University.

Uppsala University, which is the oldest Nordic university, was established in 1477. Ms Kartal presented an outline of the structure and ranking of Uppsala University and explained Uppsala’s alliance with Universities in South Africa such as the Universities of Stellenbosch, Rhodes, Witwatersrand, and among others.

Present at the meeting were Heads of RID Units and Research Development Officers as well as Mrs Irene Ashiley, Administrator (RID). Identifying common areas of interest, discussions on collaborating to share information on funding opportunities and sharing information in developing funding proposals were discussed during the meeting.

Prof. Dodoo-Arhin, expressed the need to continue the dialogue between the UG and Uppsala and build on the preliminary engagement. He thanked Ms Kartal for her visit and for the interest in collaborating with the University of Ghana.