PRETORIA – The University of Pretoria (UP), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and Japan’s University of Tokyo have forged a new Africa–Asia partnership aimed at working together to develop the next generation of leaders for inter-regional public–private partnerships.

The partnership is receiving financial support from the Japanese Government through the Japan Trust Fund, administered by the AfDB, and was signed on behalf of UP by Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Francis Petersen on 14 November 2025.

It also aims to strengthen research and networking capacity, promote sustainable industrialisation and innovation in the agribusiness sector, and enhance Africa–Asia business collaboration to support youth entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprise (SME) development.

Prof Petersen expressed deep gratitude to the Japanese government, the University of Tokyo and the AfDB. “Amid the geopolitical uncertainty we are experiencing, partnerships like this are proof that positive growth and cooperation strongly counterbalance these challenges,” he said. “We are delighted to join hands with the African Development Bank and the University of Tokyo, one of the leading universities in the world.

“We can learn so much from Japan, with its sustainable industrial policy centred on key initiatives, such as Green Transformation (GX), Digital Transformation (DX), AI, robotics [Japan is the global leader in industrial robotics] and automation, semiconductors, ship-building, aerospace and defence.”

Prof Petersen said innovation, entrepreneurship, digitalisation and sustainable industrialisation are imperative for South Africa and the continent’s growth. “We welcome the drive for knowledge without borders [and the] innovation and development this partnership represents.”

As a top research-intensive university in Africa, UP is working at the frontier of transdisciplinary research, innovation, engagement and entrepreneurship to accelerate development and address society’s most complex challenges, including unemployment, climate change, biodiversity loss, and food and economic insecurity.

Future Africa at UP, together with the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Public Policy, will lead the implementation of the partnership. Future Africa is UP’s collaborative platform for research that works across the sciences and with the government, business and society to address complex challenges.

Prof Petersen said that with a student population of 56 453 at UP – the largest number of enrolled contact students in a South African university – “we have a duty to produce graduates who are well prepared for the rapidly evolving future of work, and who can take sustainability into their professions.”

In South Africa, out of a population of over 60 million people, approximately 60% of 15- to 24-year-olds are unemployed, along with over 40% of 25- to 34-year-olds. “To actively reduce these massive unemployment levels, we need programmes that empower our young people to start and grow active, successful businesses that create employment. Business entrepreneurial incubation is essential to achieve this,” Prof Petersen added.

This Africa–Asia partnership emanates from the 9^th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), convened from 20 to 22 August 2025 in Yokohama City in Japan with the theme ‘Co-create innovative solutions with Africa’.

The Government of Japan has been leading this conference since 1993. It is attended by heads of state and delegations from Japan and African Union member states, together with representatives from the co-organisers, namely the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank. The three pillars of TICAD – economy, society, peace and stability – establish the preconditions for inclusive growth and sustainable development.

The Yokohama Declaration drawn up at TICAD 9 highlights the “tremendous opportunities” possible with Africa’s young population and abundant resources, and also recognises the multifaceted challenges the continent faces in realising sustainable economic growth and development.

It stresses the importance of an enabling business environment, increasing technological development – particularly in the AI and data sectors – trade and investment, fostering economic integration, diversification and value-addition, investing in infrastructure, human capital and home-grown innovation, improving access to affordable finance for development, and supporting African countries in strengthening economic governance and business environments.

An excerpt from the declaration states:

“We encourage productive partnerships between Japan and Africa to promote investment, support innovation from the private sector through deeper collaboration between Japanese and African companies, and facilitate technology cooperation. We recognise the importance of co-creating an enabling environment to drive the digital transformation of Africa.

We note the imperative need to harness Africa’s demographic dividend through investment in people and promotion of decent work, especially for Africa’s youthful population through youth apprenticeship and tax incentives for firms employing youth in the AI/data sectors.

We recognise the critical role of efficient transport and logistics infrastructure in unlocking Africa’s trade potential, we commit to accelerating investments in sustainable and resilient infrastructure networks across road, rail, maritime, and aviation modes of transport.

We underscored the need to partner in building sustainable and smart cities with adequate urban mobility solutions that respond to the rapid urbanisation and resilience building, which supports an inclusive transport system.

We underscore the need for co-creating an open, reliable, and resilient industrial innovation and start-up eco-systems that can sustainably attract and manage domestic and external resources to realise economic prosperity and social well-being for Africa and Japan.”

Prof Petersen encouraged the parties involved to focus on collaboration. “We have this unique window to create a very deliberate, positive future for our country and continent,” he said. “Together with the African Development Bank, the University of Tokyo and the Government of Japan, we welcome the opportunity of what we can achieve, together.”