About the event

This virtual dialogue event is an official pre-event of the Africa-EU Summit, organised during the EU’s ‘Africa Week. It will share distinct experiences and examples of Africa-EU higher education collaboration, but also point to the importance of further investment in enabling frameworks and capacity building at various levels. In view of the upcoming Africa-EU Summit, it recalls the commitment of the EU-Africa Partnership’s 2018 Abidjan statement for growth, development and equity. It draws upon the Abidjan commitment to meet global and local challenges by prioritising education and research.

The event will trace the wealth of cooperation that has ensued in the sector since Abidjan and intends to chart the course for the next phase, notably in promoting the inherent linkages between higher education and other policy areas, such as research, trade and sustainable development, and the role of regional and continental policy frameworks.

Emphasis will be placed on

  • Regional/continental higher education reform processes in Africa and Europe, and the opportunities for learning from each respective process (session 1)
  • Development of regional approaches for recognition (session 2) and quality assurance (session 3), as an essential driver for the relevance and pertinence of higher education and enabler for intra- and interregional collaboration and mobility.

*ENG-FR interpretation offered by the HAQAA2 Initiative (Harmonisation, Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Africa Higher Education), funded by the EU in support of the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership

This virtual dialogue is organised in the framework of the Africa-Europe Week which will take place from 14 to 18 February 2022. Find all the information and register here: https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/africa-europe-week_en

Programme

SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION WILL BE PROVIDED IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH

14:00 CET

Session 1: Continental and regional cooperation and integration frameworks: A basis for EU-Africa higher education engagement

Chair and introduction

Elizabeth Colucci, Advisor for Global Relations, EUA/Coordinator of the HAQAA2 Initiative, OBREAL Global

Short introductory presentations / statements

Magalie Soenen, Flemish Government Department Education & Training/Bologna Follow Up Group (BFUG) Global Dialogue Co-chair: Lessons from the Bologna Process
Juma Shubani, Higher Education Sub-Cluster Chair – Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA)/University of Burundi: Lessons from African continental harmonisation processes

Short responses

Amanda Crowfoot, Secretary General, European University Association (EUA)

Olusola Oyewole, Secretary General, Association of African Universities (AAU)

Discussion panel (joined by all previous presenters)

Gaspard Banyankiboma, Secretary General, Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), Uganda

Deirdre Lennan, Directorate General International Partnerships (INTPA), European Commission

15:00 CET

Session 2: Recognition of studies for regional integration

Chair and introduction

Pablo Beneitone, Strategic Advisor, OBREAL Global

Panel:

Howard Davies, Senior Advisor, EUA

Jenneke Lokhoff, President, ENIC/NARIC Network, The Netherlands

Abdoulaye Salifou, Regional Advisor for HE and ICT, UNESCO Regional Office, Abuja

Charles Awono Onana, President of Université des Montagnes, Cameroon

16:00 CET

Session 3: Quality assurance – a basis for exchange and collaboration

Chair and introduction

Maria Kelo, Director for Institutional Development, EUA: QA in regional integration & international cooperation

Followed by panel discussion:

Youhansen Eid, President, National Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency for Education (NAQAAE), Egypt

Bella Sattar, Quality Assurance Advisory, Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA), South Africa

Christoph Hansert, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Germany

17:00 CET

Conclusions and key messages for the Summit

Chair and introduction

Maria Kelo, Director for Institutional Development, EUA

Summary and conclusions

Elizabeth Colucci, Advisor for Global Relations, EUA/Coordinator of the HAQAA2 Initiative, OBREAL Global

Closing words

Claire Hermann, DG Education and Culture, European Commission

Emmanuel Chigozie, African Union Commission

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