Embracing partnership principles in regional and international research collaboration: Theory and practice

The landscape of development on the African continent is fast changing. There are many more educated Africans in various disciplines today than it were three decades ago. New problems have also emerged that need locally sourced solutions. New more user friendly tools in the information, communication and technology are quickly changing the way business is done. Partners and collaborators on the continent are demanding their voices to be heard more loudly than before in the transactions of collaboration and partnerships. This calls for the need to replace old models of partnership with new ones that emphasize the principles and practice of respectful, sustainable and equitable partnerships. This paper discusses some of these principles and points out challenges likely to be encountered and attempts to provide suggestions on how best to make this happen.