These updates are republished press releases and communications from members of the Science|Business Network Academics from Africa and University of Eastern of Finland focus on the EU-Africa relationship frica and Europe seem increasingly interconnected yet divided. Apart from the commonly mentioned factors of history and geographical proximity, both continents face a growing number and a broader variety of shared challenges, interests, and goals. As these cover various political domains from economy to security and from culture to mobility, relations can justifiably be regarded as of high strategic importance. However, the nature of this interconnectedness often remains more assumed than comprehensively analysed. The balance may not be even, but more importantly, it may not lead us in the direction a shared understanding of the past would lead us to believe. Acknowledging that the time had come to reassess the deep-seated belief that Africa remains dependent on European aid and offers little in return, the recently completed the