We were delighted to be able to host delegates from all six partner countries at the first project meeting and international seminar for the Strengthening Urban Engagement of Universities in Asia and Africa (SUEUAA) project held at the University of Glasgow from 18-20 December 2017. This project funded by the British Academy under the Cities and Infrastructure programme, which is part of the Global Challenges Research Fund. The project led by the University of Glasgow includes six international partners from Iran, Iraq, the Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.