Eight laureates chosen for the 2nd edition of programme of “Partnerships with the African higher education”

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A programme at the service of partnerships between France and Africa

In November 2017, French president Macron set the course at the university of Ouagadougou before 800 African students: to build a partnership relationship between France and the African continent. He called to “work towards the doubling of university cooperation we have in Africa”. In his speech on 27 February 2023 at the Elysée palace, Macron called to improve the partnership relationship with pragmatic projects “where our partners are expecting us (...) by building improved offer in vocational training”. This is a major stake for the African continent, where 60% of the population is under 24 years old and the number of students should double in 2030 to reach 22 million people.

The “Partnerships with the African higher education” (PEA in French) is funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD, French Agency for Development) as part of the “Bienvenue en France” (Welcome to France) strategy driven by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, and driven by the National Agency of Research and Campus France. The agreement aims at concluding strategic partnerships to build between peers higher education training courses taught in Africa. The steering programme is part of the strengthening efforts of bridges between French and African academic communities. The ambition of the programme is to join the needs in international quality and attraction of African and French university players with local social and economic needs, while encouraging the employability and mobility of students and teachers.

The first edition started in 2021 and gave birth to the implementation of six strategic partnerships. First results of PEA 1 include the training of teachers, the reception of the first equipment to professionalise training courses, the launch of about 10 new courses (Licence and Master), a revamp of the education plan, and about 1,000 students registered to training courses since the launch of the PEA. The second edition continues to develop the network of partnership higher education training courses. Each edition of the PEA is open to 18 African countries defined as primary to receive French subsidies for development and up to 20 million euros.

The eight laureates of the 2nd edition

The second call for projects attracted more than 70 African and French higher education institutions, and received more than 30 applications.

14 experts from the academic and socio-economic worlds, from Africa and Europe, examined the applications in two steps.

After the examination, the programme’s steering committee (Ministries of Europe and Foreign Affairs, of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, of Agriculture, of Health, the AFD, conferences of institutions - France Universités, CDEFI, CGE - and operators ANR and Campus France) selected 8 projects for their relevance, quality and contribution to achieving the objectives of sustainable development.

Sharing experiences, development of new training courses, student training, cutting edge equipment, and teacher and student mobility are at the heart of the projects, which will receive grants ranging from 1.5 to 3 million euros.

Presentation of the laureate projects of the 2nd edition:

• The CIPASTI project “Cooperation, Pedagogical Innovation and Academic Research in Engineering Sciences and Techniques in the Democratic Republic of Congo”. This project is supported by Loyola University of Congo and the Institut Catholique des Arts et Métiers (ICAM Group), and aims to consolidate the training of technicians and to develop an engineer/master’s degree in engineering sciences and techniques for the following sectors: civil engineering, energy and processing industries.

Additional partners: Toulouse III Paul Sabatier University, Polytech Nantes (Nantes University)

• The DISCOM project “DIStribution des produits et services et COMmercialisation des produits locaux au Sénégal” (Distribution of products and services, and marketing of local products in Senegal). Led by the University Iba Der Thiam of Thiès and the University of Lille, it aims to co-create a management science course (Licence 3, Master, Doctorate) in the distribution sector, which presents important economic (job creation, marketing of local products), societal (sustainable development, healthy consumption, inclusion of women) and technological (digitalisation, mobile) challenges.
• The Ethiopie 4.0 project “Former des experts aptes à démocratiser les méthodes de l’industrie 4.0 en Ethiopie et accompagner le développement économique du pays” (Training experts capable of democratising Industry 4.0 methods in Ethiopia and supporting the country's economic development) Led by the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAIT) and the Institut National Polytechnique Clermont-Auvergne (Clermont-Auvergne INP), the project aims to train technicians and industrial experts capable of disseminating new technologies related to Industry 4.0, including the creation of a master's level training course and the installation of a technological platform.
• The ICAT project “Ingénierie de la Construction et de l'Aménagement du Territoire” (Engineering of Construction and Land Planning) in Benin. Led by the National University of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and the University of Le Havre Normandie, it aims to structure two training courses around sustainable construction and the rational development of cities and territories.

Additional partners: CY Cergy Paris University (CYU), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) Rennes, INSA Rouen, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM)

• The IDBio project “Ingénierie durable des produits biosourcés” (Sustainable engineering of biosourced products) in Senegal. Led by the Gaston Berger University and the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) Toulouse, it aims to strengthen skills through initial and continuing education and through research for the emergence of new sectors for the valorisation of renewable resources and waste in a strategy of sustainable development and support for the local economy.

Additional partners: Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines d’Albi-Carmaux (Institut Mines Télécom IMT Mines Albi), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (Toulouse INP), Institut Agro Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de Recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAe).

• The INSPIRE-UAC project “Innovation Santé Publique Internationale Recherche Enseignement - Université d'Abomey Calavi” (International Public Health Innovation, Research and Education) in Benin. Led by the University of Abomey Calavi and the University of Limoges, it aims to structure the public health training offer at all levels of the university system (LMD), by strengthening human capacities in this field while ensuring equity and sustainable development.

Additional partners: Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)

• The PreFoSyc project “Professionnalisation et Renforcement de la formation à la Faculté d'Agronomie de l'Université de Parakou pour les Systèmes de production durable à base de Coton” (Professionalisation and reinforcement of training at the Faculty of Agronomy of the University of Parakou for sustainable cotton-based production systems) in Benin. Led by the University of Parakou and the Ecole Supérieure d'Agro développement international (ISTOM), it aims to provide two master's level courses, doctoral level courses and continuing education courses to meet the challenges of developing skills in all the sectors associated with the cotton sector in Benin.

Additional partner: Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD)

• The TRANGA project “Renforcement de capacité pour la TRansition et l’Audit éNergétique à MadaGAgascar” (Capacity Building for Energy Transition and Audit in Madagascar). Led by the Antananarivo Higher Institute of Technology and the University of Southern Brittany, it aims to renovate and create training courses at the bachelor and master levels, as well as support the field of research and continuing education in the field of energy by integrating, beyond energy production, issues of efficiency and energy audit.

Additional partner: University of Reunion