The aim of the Leeds Africa Hub is to promote and enable collaboration between the University of Leeds and researchers across the African continent working in any areas that utilise data science, machine learning or artificial intelligence. A continued drive to advance skills and education in data science across Africa has many benefits, but will be particularly relevant in helping to reduce global inequality and spur economic growth.

With these collaborations our overall goal is to make significant progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, addressing key challenges in quality education, decent work and economic growth, gender equality and partnerships for the goals. More specifically, applications of data science and artificial intelligence are uniquely placed to answer cutting-edge open questions in good health and wellbeing, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water and life on land.

The Hub builds on the strong track record of international collaboration led by the University of Leeds, including projects such as the Global Challenges Research Fund AFRICAP and African SWIFT projects, along with the Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) initiative.