Postgraduate
Research
for Africa.
Collaborating across the continent
"Mobilizing Africa's strategic intellectual assets for a unified framework."
Background and Rationale
Africa’s aspiration for inclusive growth, innovation, and sustainable development—articulated in the African Union’s Agenda 2063—depends critically on the strength, relevance, and coordination of its postgraduate education and research systems.
Across the continent, universities generate a growing volume of postgraduate research; however, much of this output remains fragmented, uneven in quality, and weakly aligned with national development agendas.
The PERAA Consortium is proposed as a continent-wide coordination and mobilization framework to address this gap. It seeks to harmonize postgraduate research efforts and align them with Agenda 2063, national development plans, and sectoral transformation priorities.
Strategic Objectives
PERAA is established to serve as a continental platform for aligning, strengthening, and mobilizing postgraduate education and research in Africa.
Pan-African Postgraduate Research Conference
A recurring strategic platform within the PERAA framework, serving as the primary continental convening for academic mobilization.
Continental Forum
Provide a continental forum for postgraduate students at proposal, progress, and completion stages to present their research.
Mentorship & Peer Learning
Enable mentorship, peer learning, and interdisciplinary exchange among African scholars.
Structured Engagement
Create structured engagement between academia, industry, policymakers, and development actors.
Collective Contribution
Showcase how postgraduate research contributes collectively to Africa's development priorities.
Conference Timeline
A detailed schedule of keynote addresses, thematic tracks, and mentorship sessions is currently being finalized.
Dates TBD
Coming 2026
Secure Your Place
in History.
Be the first to know when registration opens for the Pan-African Postgraduate Research Conference. Priority access for early interests.
Consortium Leadership
PERAA operates as a collaborative continental consortium, leveraging the strengths of leading institutions across Africa.
| Institution | Country |
|---|---|
| FIRAT Foresight Institute of Research and Translation | Rwanda |
| REN Research Exchange Network | Namibia |
| CAA College for Advancement of Academics | Nigeria |
Governance & Implementation
PERAA adopts a light, credible, and inclusive governance model that balances strategic oversight with operational flexibility. Our structure ensures deep alignment with the African Union Agenda 2063 and national development priorities.
- Strategic and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC)
- Thematic Working Groups (Health, Agric, Climate, Tech)
- Partner University Collaborative Council
- Industry & Policy Engagement Platforms
Continental Flagship Programmes
Our Long-Term Vision
Postgraduate research intentionally aligned with national and continental development priorities.
African universities functioning as engines of innovation, policy relevance, and socio-economic transformation.
Postgraduate students recognized as strategic contributors to national and continental progress.
Africa leading its own development through knowledge generated by its people, for its people.
Building the Africa We Want.
The PERAA Consortium provides a timely and strategic framework for repositioning postgraduate education and research as a cornerstone of Africa’s transformation agenda.