The Cluster of Cooperation (CLOC) East Africa and the Horn will serve as a door opener for Swiss higher education institutions in the region to foster research collaboration, education and partnerships with Southern research institutions, and other actors, in the context of Agenda 2030.

The initial thematic foci will be on five realms and their interlinkages where CLOC and COFER partners have long-standing experience and expertise:

 (1) land and water management and governance (including WASH),

(2) management of resource use conflicts,

(3) food security and nutrition,

(4) climate change related issues, and

(5) health issues and one health approach.

The CLOC is co-led by CDE and SUPSI (Co-Heads), and the University of Geneva, WLRC (Ethiopia) and CETRAD (Kenya) are part of the CLOC project coordination unit. The partners have long-standing research experiences and partnerships with actors from science, policy and civil society in the region.

Goals of the CLOC

• The CLOC is recognised as a regional knowledge hub by Swiss higher education institutions, Southern Research Institutions and other actors.
• The CLOC is able to establish strong inter- and transdisciplinary research partnerships, which lead to policy relevant research results on SDG related key topics for the region, and guide decision-making processes.
• Capacities of researchers are built through the CLOC’s training and teaching programme, which improves transformative research, and leads to strengthened national science-policy-society interfaces.

CLOC activities

Networking and knowledge exchange

Activity 1: Establish a vibrant knowledge exchange platform for Science-Policy-Society interfaces

Building on the COFERs active in the region, research and education priorities will be elaborated in a transdisciplinary way, and strategic foresight of upcoming debates conducted.

Mobility programme

Activity 2: Foster partnerships through a mobility programme and enable transformative research and education among Swiss higher education institutions and Southern partners

The CLOC serves as a platform to foster North-South research and education partnerships and exchange. It enables transformative research/education by breaking academic silos and sectoral thinking, and supports transdisciplinary approaches.

Training

Activity 3: Training and teaching events related to Sustainable Development

In collaboration with the COFERs, the CLOC will coordinate and organise training and teaching events on the realm of sustainable development and transformative research.

• COFER Academy 2030;
• COFER WASH;
• COFER One Health;
• COFER Education for Development;
• COFER SAS4SD;
• COFER WelCit

The CLOC is open to new partner institutions in line with the aim of the CLOC to become a vibrant network for research and education.

Information on how to participate in the CLOC and which opportunities exist will be shared as soon as the CLOC will be starting its activities (from August 2021 onwards).

Please contact the project leadIsabelle Providoli (CDE) in case you are interested in the CLOC activities.