This research forms part of the Universities, Employability and Inclusive Development project commissioned by the British Council, with a focus on Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and the UK. The summary report draws on a review of literature on partnerships and interviews with key stakeholders in the UK higher education sector, to identify the underlying factors, with a particular focus on teaching and learning partnerships. It presents findings from the first phase of the partnerships research conducted in 2014, centering on the perspectives of the UK higher education sector. The second phase of the study will focus on African perspectives on university partnerships, involving interviews with academics and policy makers from each of the four African countries participating in the project. This report is intended to be of specific interest to UK universities as they seek to develop new and existing partnerships with African institutions.