Dates: February 2-3, 2027
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
This is event is by invitation only.
The Pamoja Summit “Seeding Tomorrow: Strengthening African Research Networks for Lasting Community Impact” is a gathering of the Pamoja Network, a collaborative group of African universities, research institutions and the University of Notre Dame, designed to strengthen equitable, Africa-led research that addresses critical societal challenges. Building on the inaugural Summit in 2023, the 2027 Summit will bring together university leaders, faculty, researchers, postdoctoral scholars, and students to advance collaborative research, share knowledge, and develop partnerships across the network.
To learn more about Pamoja and this Summit, please contact Notre Dame Global.
Summit Planning Partners
Within the Pamoja Network are six key partners who are tasked with co-creating the summit alongside the University of Notre Dame. Those institutions are as follows:
- Hekima University College, Kenya
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
- Strathmore University, Kenya
- Uganda Martyrs University, Uganda
- Université Jésuite d'Abidjan Côte D'Ivoire
- University of Makeni, Sierra Leone
About Pamoja
The Pamoja Initiative is a vibrant cross-disciplinary platform through which the University of Notre Dame deepens its engagement with the African continent through collaborative research,
teaching, innovation, and policy outreach. Meaning “together” in Kiswahili, Pamoja reflects a commitment to bringing diverse expertise, perspectives, and strengths into partnership across Notre Dame and Africa in ways that are genuinely bidirectional and mutually beneficial.
Launched as a university-wide effort through Notre Dame’s Office of the Provost, the initiative was guided by faculty co-chairs Ellis Adams and Jaimie Bleck and shaped by a cross-disciplinary steering committee, with contributions from the Kroc Institute, the Kellogg Institute, Notre Dame Global, and Notre Dame Research. Together, these collaborations laid the foundation for the Pamoja Network and its ongoing commitment to equitable, African-led, and community-engaged research, particularly in a region that is home to the world’s fastest-growing Catholic population.
Learn more about the Pamoja Initiative
Why the Pamoja Summit Matters Now
Despite representing 13.5% of the global population, Sub-Saharan Africa contributes less than 1% of global research output. While regional research publications have increased over the last two decades, African universities face persistent barriers to equitable research collaboration.
At a moment when funding for development-related research is declining globally, African universities face growing pressure to respond to urgent societal challenges with fewer resources. At the same time, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to one of the world’s youngest and fastest-growing populations, demonstrating the need for research that is both locally grounded and capable of shaping policies and practices for the future.
This Summit represents a strategic opportunity to advance African-led research at scale. The Pamoja Network aims to mobilize expertise, relationships, and institutional commitment quickly and effectively. This work is grounded in the University of Notre Dame’s long standing presence in the region through Notre Dame Nairobi, which serves as a hub for academic engagement, research partnerships and community initiatives. This summit builds durable foundations for trust-based collaboration, ensuring that research partnerships continue to grow, evolve, and generate impact long after the convening concludes.
Catholic universities play a distinctive role within this effort. Founded on commitments to human dignity and care for our common home, these institutions are well-positioned to combine academic excellence with deep community engagement. Through Pamoja, faith-based institutions collaborate alongside public and non-Catholic partners to advance ethical, socially impactful research that serves marginalized communities and contributes to the common good.
Originally published at nairobi.nd.edu.