Second Conference on Equitable Partnership 2026

The British Academy and the Royal Society, in collaboration with the National Research Foundation’s Strategic Investments, Innovation and Impact directorate, hosted the Second Conference on Equitable Partnership from 03–05 February 2026 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria.

Proceedings opened on 03 February with a comprehensive pre‑conference workshop series, centrally themed around equitable partnerships. The programme comprised three targeted workshops exploring different dimensions of the global collaborative research ecosystem:

• The first workshop invited participants to reflect on evidence‑informed policymaking and encouraged attendees to share best practices from their respective national contexts on how governments have used research evidence to shape or refine public policy. The session aimed to stimulate discussion on strengthening pathways to track and demonstrate societal impact.
• The second workshop centred on the concept of an ‘Ideal Call’. It provided a platform for participants to examine the funding call process and propose improved mechanisms for designing calls that intentionally build and sustain equitable research partnerships.
• The third workshop focused on research management capacity strengthening and was delivered using a World Café model. Researchers, research managers, funders, policymakers and institutional leaders engaged in peer exchange, sharing institutional experiences and co‑designing practical approaches to foster equitable collaborations across diverse research environments.

Plenary Sessions

The first plenary session, which took place on the second day of the conference, aimed to set the scene for the event, with Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim FRS delivering the keynote address on equitable partnerships in global research. Her presentation emphasised the need to move from policy commitments to meaningful implementation and urged institutions to embed equity within research design, governance systems and collaborative frameworks.

The second plenary session, held on the last day of event, was delivered by Professor Tshilidzi Marwala under the theme Beyond the Binary: How equitable partnerships transform all players. It expanded the conversation on partnership dynamics with Professor Marwala highlighting how inclusive and balanced collaborations strengthen global research ecosystems, generate mutual benefit, and promote shared accountability. He stressed the importance of long‑term cooperation as a cornerstone of equitable partnerships.

Together, the two plenaries underscored several core themes central to the conference’s purpose:

• Moving from principle to practice: Equity must extend beyond rhetoric and policy into operational reality.
• Embedding equity at all levels: Governance, research design, and institutional culture all require intentional alignment.
• Mutual benefit and shared accountability: Effective partnerships must support balanced gains for both Global South and Global North institutions
• Long‑term cooperation: Sustained engagement is essential for impact beyond project cycles.
• Transformational potential: Equitable collaborations shift power dynamics, broaden opportunity, and build resilient global knowledge networks.

The three‑day gathering concluded on a high note, reaffirming the collective will of researchers, policymakers, funders and institutional leaders to advance a more just and inclusive global research landscape. With strong calls for deepened collaboration and practical implementation of equitable principles, the conference signalled growing momentum behind reimagining how international research partnerships are formed, governed and sustained. Stakeholders left Pretoria with a renewed sense of purpose and a shared commitment to ensuring that equity becomes a lived reality shaping the future of global knowledge production.