Envisioning an equitable future for research across the North-South Divide

This synthesis paper brings together perspectives from across the Global South and North to explore the complexities and challenges of promoting equity in research. Drawing on separate inquiry tracks from these regions, it contrasts the approaches, framings, and main concerns identified by stakeholders in both settings. Findings reveal that while actors in the Global North—particularly research for development funders—most often focus on reshaping research partnerships and advancing equity as an end goal in itself, those in the Global South view equity as integral to broader systemic transformations within the development knowledge ecosystem. Despite substantial variations in agendas, objectives and approaches to research collaboration between contexts, finding common ground is crucial to fostering cross-cutting, critical dialogue in Global South and North, and developing a joint action agenda for power-aware, pro-equity change. The synthesis paper proposes a framework grounded in Southern priorities to strengthen agency, align objectives, and identify spaces for transformative change within the research landscape.