The North/South Priority Research Area conducts research on North/South themes, together with Biotechnology and Environment, has been given high priority at the University of Copenhagen since 1996.
The main goals of focusing on North/South research are to strengthen the various research fields within the areas, to ensure an increased research effort by promoting an enabling environment, and to facilitate coordination among the research achievements of the different faculties. Further goals are to encourage co-operation among the departments and faculties at the University of Copenhagen and to make full use of the existing resources to create a fruitful and inspiring research environment.
Research on North/South issues has been defined as research on relations between countries in the North and in the South, but also as research, which mainly focuses on aspects of concern for countries in the South. Currently the central focus of the North/South Initiative is geographically and thematically on Africa and Islam.