Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme

Expected Impact

The outputs to be delivered by this action and contributing to the Specific Objectives are:

At system level

• Improved mechanisms for the international transparency and recognition of studies/degrees and qualifications in the participating HEIs.
• Improved knowledge transfer between HEIs, quality of higher education and information exchange on study opportunities in the African Higher Education and Research Space, to enhance regional integration and cross-border skills circulation.

At institutional level

• Strengthened HEIs capacity to manage international partnerships, mobility flows and career services.
• Increased number of partnerships and networks among HEIs in Africa, in partnership with EU Higher Education Institutions, in particular in the research area at regional and continental level.
• Enhanced cooperation between HEIs and business.

At individual level

• Enhanced knowledge, competences, skills and employability of scholarship holders, in the Global Gateway priorities across countries and stakeholders.
• Increased participation of women and increased number of African women holding a post-graduate degree.
• Access to post-graduate degrees is diversified with special attention to students with special needs or vulnerable status (e.g., coming from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, fragile and least developed countries/regions, with a refugee status).

Objective

The Overall Objective of this action is to increase skills and qualifications across the African continent.

The Specific Objectives of this action are to:

• Promote inclusive learning mobility opportunities, with a focus on the Global Gateway priority sectors, building human capital and promoting skills circulation.
• Increase the employability of higher education students and trainees in Global Gateway priority sectors through advanced skills (including entrepreneurship skills).
• Improve the quality, relevance, internationalisation of higher education and innovation in Africa, as well as its focus on Global Gateway priority sectors, in line with employment and investment opportunities.

Scope

The Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme is the EU’s programme to encourage international learning mobility across the African continent. It aims to contribute to the socio-economic development of Africa by strengthening higher education’s role in supporting economic growth, innovation and competitiveness, notably through the development of skilled graduates, highly qualified professionals and talented researchers.

The action supports learning mobility opportunities for students, trainees and staff among African higher education institutions (HEIs), to enhance knowledge, skills and competences, including in fields not available at home institutions, while also improving the quality, relevance and inclusiveness of teaching and learning through exchanges of practices.

Implemented through partnerships of Sub-Saharan African HEIs, with EU HEIs acting as technical partners and possible participation of associated partners, the scheme will support mobility projects in the priority sectors of the Global Gateway, relevant for productive and sustainable employment, decent jobs, entrepreneurship and innovation.

The action is part of the Youth Mobility for Africa flagship in the field of Education and Training under the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package. The initiative supports cooperation in higher education and skills development, strengthens regional and continental harmonisation mechanisms and, ultimately, promotes Africa as an attractive study destination, while supporting transformational change towards a knowledge-based economy, in line with Africa’s Agenda 2063.

This call is open to proposals aligning with Global Gateway priorities at country/regional levels in the sectors Climate and Energy, Digital, Transport and Health.

Proposals should address a maximum of two Global Gateway priorities relevant to the countries involved in the proposals.

Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 5 and maximum 7 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities), which complies with the following conditions:

• Minimum 4 and maximum 6 HEIs from the eligible countries in the following Sub-Saharan African regions: East and Central Africa, Southern Africa and Indian Ocean, Western Africa
• One HEI from one of the EU Member States (EU technical partner)
• Maximum 2 HEIs from the same eligible country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Minimum three (3) different eligible countries in Sub-Saharan Africa representing at least two (2) of the three (3) eligibleregions, i.e. East and Central Africa; Southern Africa and Indian Ocean; Western Africa.

The applicant acting as coordinator must be a Higher Education Institution established in Sub-Saharan Africa. As such, this is not a call for scholarship applications.

Applicants have to demonstrate:

• how they will address needs and the critical gaps through academic mobility and skills development, based on a sound needs assessment.
• why they selected the priority (country and/or regional) and how they will contribute to its implementation.
• what concrete and unique benefits and added-value they will bring to the two priorities (maximum) at country/regional level and to their sectors (e.g., innovation, scalability, local impact, multi-country cooperation, HEI-business cooperation).

It is expected that the selected projects will foster the development of skills and competencies in targeted areas of academia to:

• increase the role of Higher Education in the Global Gateway country and/or regional priorities, and
• maximise the benefit for mobile students and trainees by offering quality academic programmes and traineeships, notably with an applied and practical focus, providing real-world experience and direct exposure via fieldwork and research.

To find out which priorities apply to your country, consult this document presenting priorities per country in each sector and those at regional level (Sub-saharan Africa). Applicants, who connect their proposal to a Sub-Saharan Africa regional priority, are responsible for demonstrating its relevance to the country/ies concerned. Applicants are also expected to consult the Team Europe Initiatives (TEI) and Regional Global Gateway flagship list and, if applicable, link their proposal to a Regional Sub-Saharan Africa flagship or TEI.