Make Science Matter
The challenges shaping our future are increasingly interconnected. From food systems and public health to climate adaptation, livelihoods and energy transitions, creating meaningful progress requires collaboration across countries, disciplines and sectors.
GROW is a North-South science, innovation and leadership platform that helps universities and societal partners address shared challenges through research, entrepreneurship and partnership.
Together, we create understanding of complex societal challenges, develop and test promising solutions, and build pathways towards lasting impact.
Major and international societal challenges have been defined in e.g. the UN Sustainable Development Goals or the Africa 2063 Agenda.
For inspiration we include some of the most urgent and interconnected topics here.
Why North-South collaboration matters
Many of today's challenges are global, but their impacts, realities and solutions are highly context dependent.
Addressing these challenges requires collaboration across regions, disciplines, knowledge systems and sectors.
GROW brings together researchers, universities, entrepreneurs and societal partners from the Global North and Global South to create knowledge together, learn from one another and develop pathways towards shared resilience, prosperity and thriving societies.
SHARED CHALLENGES
Global challenges increasingly transcend borders and require collective action.
SHARED LEARNING
Different contexts generate different insights, experiences and opportunities for innovation.
SHARED FUTURES
Long-term partnerships help build resilient societies, stronger institutions and sustainable impact pathways.
Why Universities matter
Universities are uniquely positioned to contribute. Across countries and continents, researchers share a common language: science. They work within similar systems of inquiry, knowledge creation and educating their societies new leadership, making universities natural partners in addressing complex societal challenges together.
Through shared journals, conferences, research infrastructures, databases, satellite systems, laboratories and educational networks, universities are able to collaborate across borders, generate new insights and translate knowledge into solutions that contribute to resilient, inclusive and thriving societies.
SCIENCE
Interdisciplinary, Intersectoral & International research for understanding of complex challenges and developing new solutions.
INNOVATION
With ecosystem partners transforming knowledge into technologies, ventures, policies and practical solutions that create societal value and decent work.
EDUCATION
Training future researchers, innovators and leaders capable of working across cultures, disciplines and sectors.
SCIENCE DIPLOMACY
Fostering long-term trusted relationships among collaborators, alumni-supervisors, using innovation as a bridge between countries and society partners.
How GROW contributes
Addressing shared societal global challenges requires more than excellent research alone. GROW contributes through Science with Purpose, Entrepreneurship with Impact and Partnerships for Change.
A growing community of researchers, innovators and societal partners working together on shared challenges and shared futures.
100+ Partners
from Science & Society across Africa, Europe and beyond.
500+ Community Members
including 100+ PhD candidates
40+ Countries
from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas
Through online exchanges, collaborative projects, learning communities and annual events, we build trusted partnerships around shared societal challenges and shared futures.
Embedded in
Dutch Universities
Co-Funded by
Dutch Research Council (NWA)
& European Union
