Blogs: Announcement

Amref International University Joins the Reach Alliance as its Tenth Global University Partner

Professor Alice Lakati (Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Community Extension) and Marin MacLeod (Executive Director, Reach Alliance) at Amref International University in Nairobi, Kenya.

The new partnership will support co-created research focused on improving access to health care and medical services in underserved communities

By The Reach Alliance

Amref International University (AMIU) has joined the Reach Alliance, becoming its tenth university partner globally and third partner institution in Africa. The partnership marks a significant step in expanding research and leadership opportunities across the continent. Through student-led and community-engaged collaboration, the institutions will work to advance solutions to climate, economic, and public health challenges. 

“Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) bears a disproportionate share of the global disease burden but has historically lagged in research output and scientific capacity,” said Professor Alice Lakati, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Community Extension at AMIU.  

“This partnership between AMIU and the Reach Alliance reflects a shared commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders, researchers, and healthcare professionals across Africa.” 

Both institutions share a commitment to building global reputations grounded in meaningful societal impact. They prioritize enabling students to lead research that moves beyond theory into practical implementation and measurable action, while equipping emerging leaders to address the world’s most pressing challenges. 

“This partnership is rooted in shared values of co-creation and reciprocal learning. We’re excited to welcome AMIU into the Reach Alliance network and look forward to learning from their expertise, leadership, and strong community-based approach,” said Marin MacLeod, Executive Director of the Reach Alliance. 

Through this partnership, AMIU students and faculty will join a network of more than 400 students and researchers across nine universities in eight countries, including Ashesi University, Howard University, Singapore Management University, Tecnológico de Monterrey, University of Melbourne, University of Oxford, University of Toronto, University College London, and University of Cape Town. Together, these partners conduct interdisciplinary research focused on improving access to essential services and opportunities for underserved populations worldwide. 

“AMIU contributes to the fulfilment of Amref’s vision of sustainable improvements in health in Africa, based on local expertise and local solutions to local challenges,” said Navin Singh, Executive Director of Amref Health Africa in Canada. 

Founded in 2017 under Amref Health Africa, AMIU builds on nearly 70 years of commitment to improving the health and well-being of communities across Africa. Guided by Amref’s legacy of strengthening health systems and investing in women and young people as agents of change, the university is dedicated to developing transformative leaders in healthcare and related fields. AMIU continues to advance innovative, competency-based training and research that respond to the evolving needs of African health systems and the broader global health landscape. 

Founded in 2015 by the University of Toronto, the Reach Alliance is a global network of universities advancing inclusive development through collaborative research and innovation. To date, it has produced more than 100 research reports across 40 countries, with actionable insights that have been published in leading journals and taken up by policymakers and sector leaders around the world. 

The partnership between AMIU and the Reach Alliance will create new opportunities for students to engage in hands-on global research, collaborate across disciplines and geographies, and contribute to innovative, evidence-based solutions informed by diverse perspectives and lived experience. 

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About the Reach Alliance

The Reach Alliance is a consortium of global universities — with partners in Australia, Canada, Ghana, Kenya Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom, and the United States   — developing the leaders we need to solve urgent local challenges of the hard to reach — those underserved for geographic, administrative, or social reasons. Working in interdisciplinary teams, Reach’s globally minded students use rigorous research methods to identify innovative solutions to climate, public health, and economic challenges. Research is conducted in collaboration with local communities and with guidance from university faculty members, building capacity and skills among Reach’s student researchers. The power of the Reach Alliance stems from engaging leading universities to unleash actionable research insights for impact. These insights have been published in leading journals and taken up by policymakers and sector leaders around the world.  

The Reach Alliance was created in 2015 by the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, in partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. It is guided by an advisory council of leaders in academia, and in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors who help to drive impact, influence and scale, and support fundraising efforts. 

Learn more at reachalliance.org. 

About Amref International University  

Amref International University (AMIU) is a chartered, premier Pan-African institution of higher learning, established in 2017 and dedicated to advancing excellence in health sciences education. Rooted in over six decades of experience and expertise from Amref Health Africa, AMIU provides a globally informed and community-centred approach to training the next generation of health professionals. 

The University is committed to developing a transformative health workforce for Primary Health Care (PHC) and to advancing the translation of evidence into practice for effective and sustainable PHC systems. Through its academic mandate, AMIU contributes to strengthening health systems across Africa by producing competent and responsive health professionals. 

AMIU offers academic and professional programmes, including postgraduate and undergraduate degrees, higher diplomas, diplomas, certificates, and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses. These programmes are designed to equip learners with practical skills, research capacity, and globally relevant competencies that address contemporary and emerging health challenges. 

Learn more at https://amref.ac.ke/.