The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria hosted the presentation of the 'Cooperation Plan' proposal yesterday, December 10th. Bridge to Africa’', a strategic document that has been prepared by the consortium led by the two public universities of the Canary Islands and the regional government, in collaboration with several institutions and business and social organizations of the archipelago.
After a year of work, which began in early 2025, a diagnosis of the geostrategic situation of the Canary Islands with respect to the African continent has been carried out, and this proposal for cooperation with the neighboring continent has been finalized.
The aim of this initiative is to promote the creation of an international academic hub in the Canary Islands with West Africa, and to ensure that the detailed actions are incorporated into the Spanish Government's new international strategy. The ultimate goal is to subsequently negotiate its integration into the European Commission's territorial cooperation programs and future European initiatives for West Africa, guaranteeing funding, sustainability, and international visibility.
This international academic hub, to be led by the two public universities of the Canary Islands, aims to serve as a platform for education, research, and cooperation with the African continent, promoting sustainable development, innovation, and talent development in strategic sectors. Therefore, it is crucial that this Cooperation Plan articulates institutional, academic, cultural, social, and business initiatives in the Canary Islands-Africa relationship.
The progress of this international plan rests on five key areas: mobility, urban structure, academic services, spaces and facilities, and educational sustainability. Within these five areas, seventy lines of action are proposed, some of which have already been initiated independently and which are now intended to be developed around this academic hub.
The presentation of this Bridge to Africa Cooperation Plan to the State Government and, subsequently, to the European Commission, aims to attract significant funding through European scientific and mobility programs, cooperation funds, and private sponsorships.
The presentation was attended by the two rectors of the Canary Islands public universities, Lluìs Serra and Francisco García; their vice-rectors for Internationalization, Jin Taira and Inmaculada González; the general director of Relations with Africa, Luis Padilla; the island councilor Carmelo Ramírez and the director of Casa África, José Segura.
Francisco García pointed out that this is "an initiative brimming with future potential," given the impact of the Canary Islands' universities in the region, and in fact, the University of La Laguna (ULL) currently collaborates with more than twenty African countries. His counterpart from Gran Canaria maintained that public universities and institutions assume the historical responsibility of "serving as a bridge for dialogue, education, research, and cooperation between continents.".
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