The knowledge society discourse remains strong and scientific research is considered key to achieving the sustainable development goals. Universities contribute significantly to development through higher education and research which in turn can contribute to local and global problem solving. We have a lot of knowledge in the world, but it is not distributed equally. The so called North-South divide in research capacity is narrowing – but there are still significant inequalities and plenty to work on. Many different actors are working on strengthening universities globally, and here the focus is on the example of how national aid agencies contribute reducing global inequalities through support to research Veronica Brodén Gyberg is a lecturer at the Department of Thematic Studies – Environmental Change and the Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research (CSPR) at Linköping University (LiU). Her educational background is in political science and environmental studies. Having grown up Tanzania and Nicaragua sparked her interest in development issues. Critical analysis of the relationship between foreign aid, science and development is central in her research. Veronica also works part of her time at the International Affairs and Collaborations Division (IFSA) at LiU, where she focuses on developing the university’s research and education collaboration with universities in Africa. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx