Every child deserves the foundations needed to learn, relate and thrive. But achieving this requires more than good intentions. It requires robust evidence, capable researchers and educational solutions that respond to the realities of African learners.
This is the opportunity presented by a new strategic partnership between Harnessing Education Research for Impact in Africa (HERI Africa) and the National Research Fund-Kenya (NRF).
On 5th July 2026, Prof Dickson Andala, CEO of NRF, and Dr John Mugo, Executive Director of Mizizi Elimu Afrika, representing HERI Africa, formed a strategic partnership to strengthen the education research ecosystem, support initiatives to improve learning outcomes, and contribute to Kenya’s education goals.
NRF committed KES 20 million over three years to the HERI Africa programme. The investment will support resource mobilisation, capacity building and the implementation of initiatives to strengthen education research and its contribution to learning outcomes.
For HERI Africa, this partnership marks a simple but important shift: research should not end on a shelf. It should help shape better decisions, stronger education systems and better opportunities for learners.
HERI Africa brings together government, universities and civil society research organisations to a shared goal of increasing the productivity and impact of education research across the continent. The partnership with NRF strengthens this ambition by investing in the people, resources and systems needed to make research more relevant, accessible and actionable.
At the centre of this work are African researchers who understand the contexts in which education challenges arise. By strengthening their capacity and connecting them with resources and opportunities, the partnership aims to help build a research ecosystem capable of generating evidence that addresses national and continental priorities.
The collaboration is built on seven strategic program areas designed to move research from the shelf to the classroom as illustrated below:
For an early-career researcher, it means access to mentorship, research clinics, and opportunities to develop practical research skills. For universities, it means stronger collaboration and access to resources for multi-institutional research. For policymakers, it means better evidence to inform decisions. For learners and communities, the ambition is better educational experiences and outcomes.
The partnership also creates new opportunities for HERI Africa’s Research Chairs and the wider education research community. It will support joint capacity-building, improve access to resources for large-scale research projects, and contribute to stronger methodological and ethical standards.
This matters because Africa needs education research that is not only produced in Africa but also relevant to African realities, led by African researchers and connected to the decisions that shape learners’ lives.
The true measure of this partnership will be what happens beyond the research itself: whether evidence reaches policymakers, whether promising innovations are tested and scaled, whether researchers have the support to grow, and whether better decisions ultimately translate into improved learning opportunities.
HERI Africa and NRF are building that future together: a future where African education research is better resourced, more connected and more influential, and where the people generating that evidence are equipped to help solve the challenges facing education systems.
When we invest in African researchers, we invest in the evidence needed to build stronger education systems and in the future of Africa’s learners.