Obreal was honoured to participate in the Joint Meeting of Ministers of Education, Training, Science, Technology and Innovation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), held in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 17 to 20 June 2025.
This high-level gathering marked a key milestone for the 16 Member States of the Southern African Development Community, who jointly adopted a Strategic Framework for Higher Education and renewed the Protocol on Science, Technology and Innovation, reaffirming their shared commitment to regional cooperation in education and research.
Obreal’s longstanding contribution to higher education in the region was acknowledged during the deliberations of senior officials and reflected in the final adopted texts. Special mention was made of Obreal’s collaboration with the Southern African Regional Universities Association and with numerous universities and ministries across the region to implement joint projects and build capacity in project leadership and management.
Two European Commission-funded projects under the Erasmus+ programme were also presented and formally acknowledged as strategic contributions to the regional higher education agenda: ENGAGE SDG and UniCoCreate. The latter actively involves ministries from Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa, and promotes the development of entrepreneurial universities that engage directly with industry.
This meeting was a meaningful opportunity for Obreal to both celebrate and deepen its partnerships in the region—not only with the secretariat of the Southern African Development Community but also with key academic networks and associations. In her address to the ministers, Elizabeth Colucci, Director for Education Policy and Programmes at Obreal, reaffirmed the organisation’s mission to strengthen the region’s capacity to lead international development initiatives in higher education. She also reiterated Obreal’s commitment to supporting South-South interregional collaboration in education, training and regional integration.
