Swiss Alliance for Global Research Partnerships

Since the foundation of the KFPE in 1994, debates on research and development collaboration have continuously evolved. Especially the numerous successful collaborations of our member organizations with partners around the world have contributed to new perspectives on global interconnections and how global research and teaching can contribute to global sustainable and equitable development. Prompted by growing debates on decolonizing science, we have decided that a change of our name is overdue.

Following intensive discussions with our member organisations, our international advisory board, and partners from around the world, we have decided to change our name to Swiss Alliance for Global Research Partnerships.

Why “Swiss Alliance”?
We are coalition of the leading Swiss institutions working in research and teaching collaborations with partner around the world. With this alliance, the member institutions joined force to strengthen global collaborations in research and higher education to strengthen sciences for sustainable and equitable development.

Why “Global Research Partnerships”?
The term “global” reflects our commitment to strengthen inclusive research and teaching partnerships with partners from around the world – not only from a few selected countries. Moreover, with the term we avoid artificial and eurocentric classifications that have been used before.

Through inclusive and impactful global collaborations sciences thrive and contribute significantly to sustainable and equitable development.

We strengthen global collaborations in research and education to advance sciences for sustainable development.

• Swiss research and teaching increasingly engage in global collaborations.
• Researchers and universities in lower income countries contribute more substantially to the global generation of knowledge.
• Global collaboration in research and teaching are carried out on the basis of the 6 principles for equitable global partnerships.

Strategic Focus

To strengthen global collaborations in research and education we

• connect actors of global research partnerships to work together and mutually learn from each other,
• strengthen researchers and institutions to perform global partnerships equitably and effectively,
• sensitize the relevant actors for the benefits of global research partnerships.

Fields of Activities

To strengthen global collaborations in research and education we engage in different activities.

• Guide for Global Research Partnerships
  The Guide for Global Research Partnerships support researchers, teachers and funders to improve the quality and impact of global partnerships. It consists of six principles examining various aspects of research partnerships that enable or hinder collaboration in different contexts. The guide is a basis to jointly develop equitable and effective global collaboration. In the years 2024-2025 we revised the guide to adapt them to contemporary realities and demands, and to ensure that they remain relevant and impactful.
• Events
  We host an Annual Conference to provide a space to discuss current topics of global partnerships, to meet and to exchange among colleagues.
  We host meetings for the associated institutions of our alliance to informally exchange and discuss relevant topics of global partnerships openly in a semi-public setting.
  We host meetings for funding agencies to bring together the relevant Swiss funders to discuss how to improve and coordinate Swiss funding for global partnerships.
• Exploring Global Research Partnerships
  Global partnerships and the context in which they take place are dynamic and have evolved over time. In collaboration with researchers and universities from Switzerland and around the world who provide relevant expertise, we identify and explore relevant topics of global collaborations.
• Policy
  We participate in policy debates and write policy statements to raise public and political awareness on the need for appropriate frameworks for global partnerships in science.
• Information
  We provide information on current topics, debates and publications on global partnerships, on events and courses and on funding opportunities. This information is shared on our website, with our newsletter, and on social media.