Research4Life Expands Country Connector Program to Angola and Uganda
We’re excited to share an update on the Research4Life Country Connector program, which continues to grow with the recent addition of Angola and Uganda in late 2024. This expansion highlights our commitment to localized, customized approaches that drive awareness and usage of Research4Life resources in diverse research communities.
The inclusion of Angola, a partnership with University of Katyavala Bwila UKB, marks a significant milestone as it introduces the first Portuguese-speaking country to the program. This reflects Research4Life’s ongoing efforts to support non-English-speaking researchers and foster language inclusion in scholarly communication. The onboarding of Spanish-speaking El Salvador and French-speaking Senegal and Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2023 began our expansion in recognition of the importance of local languages in increasing access to research resources.
With Uganda joining the Country Connector program and partnering with Makerere University—a long-term, high-usage partner of Research4Life—we are deepening support for East African research communities. This builds on earlier participation from Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania. The growing regional network is strengthening the local research ecosystem and fostering collaboration across the continent.
The Country Connector program is a core part of Research4Life’s 2030 strategy, which aims to foster an inclusive, diverse, and equitable scholarly environment. Funded in part by the Elsevier Foundation, Springer Nature, the Wiley Foundation and Taylor & Francis, the program empowers local champions to act as focal points and advocates within their countries. These Country Connectors play a crucial role in bridging global research resources with local needs, raising awareness, building capacity, strengthening the research ecosystem, and promoting the use of Research4Life resources.
By supporting local champions, the Country Connector program is helping to create stronger research ecosystems, ensuring that researchers in low- and middle-income countries have the tools they need to thrive and contribute to the global body of knowledge.
