This introduction opens the edited volume. The volume unites the contributions handed in for the PMIC Online Seminar Series (2022), which focused on the future of African-European relations and global cooperation. Organized by Ethiopian, German, Senegalese and South-African universities who also run the master’s programme Public Management in International Cooperation (PMIC), the series addressed public management challenges in international cooperation, with topics including governance, climate change, and global health. It emphasized the value of joint research and knowledge exchange. The introduction explores the evolving dynamics of African-European cooperation, highlighting multilateralism, public administration, and geopolitical shifts, offering insights and practical recommendations for strengthening international partnerships in addressing global challenges. It thus puts the contributions in the ten topical chapters of the book into a broader framework.