The ACC is driven by the belief that Africa's urban challenges can only be addressed once there is sufficient endogenous intellectual capital steeped in urban research. We therefore see our success dependent on the growth of durable knowledge institutions, focussed on urban issues, across the Continent. The strategic challenge for ACC is how best to embed its research agenda within a larger matrix of processes and initiatives to rebuild research and training capacity at African universities to prepare a critical mass of scholars and practitioners to deal with the specificities of African urbanization within a globalizing context. In light of this the ACC has actively sought out and promoted a number of strategic research networks that enable it to enhance its own research and simultaneously strengthen partners and knowledge networks.