Brussels, 28/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - Ahead of the third EU-Africa summit, due to take place in Libya on 29-30 November, the European University Association (EUA) has published a White Paper seeking to strengthen cooperation between the two continents in higher education. The White Paper, “Africa-Europe Higher Education Cooperation and Development: Meeting Regional and Global Challenges”, contains a series of recommendations so that the challenges of the partnership between Europe and Africa might be met. It results from the two-year project “Access to Success: Fostering Trust and Exchange between Europe and Africa”, funded by Erasmus Mundus and implemented by a consortium consisting of the EUA, the Association of African Universities (AAU), the Flemish Inter-University Council for Development cooperation (VLIR-OUS), the European Students' Union (ESU), the Association of Norwegian Higher Education Institutions (UHR) and the European Access Network (EAN). “While African and European universities have had academic partnerships for several decades, the project's focus is on a holistic institutional development perspective make it both unique and timely given the role universities are currently asked to play in responding to the broad challenges identified,” said EUA Secretary General Lesley Wilson. “From the Access to Success project we have learned that traditional development actors and universities have common interests, and that there is tremendous potential for strengthening the role and visibility of universities as development actors,” she added.
The White Paper makes six recommendations. 1) A mutually beneficial partnership. Structured efficiently, partnerships between African and European universities can generate research and teaching capacity, empowering universities as drivers and agents of knowledge transfer. To be effective, partnership schemes must be set up in close cooperation with stakeholders, both in Africa and in Europe. 2) Improving access and retention through collaboration. In Africa, it is the socio-economically disadvantaged, physically remote and female students who face the greatest barriers to access to higher education. African universities cite the lack of both governmental and institutional policy, lack of financial support and lack of infrastructure as the main obstacles. 3) Strengthening research collaboration and capacity building in doctoral education. Scientific collaboration between Africa and Europe contributes to socio-economic development through innovative activities and, so, university cooperation between the two continents should be based on existing good practice. (4) Academic mobility. Mobility of European students and staff to Africa has been identified as an under-explored possibility, which deserves more attention in the discussion on internationalisation and the need for higher education to meet global challenges. 5) Building capacity to implement change. Institutional good governance and management are crucial given the rapid expansion of higher education systems in some African countries, thus capacity building and staff development are required at all levels. More leadership training should be provided by experienced African and European university leaders. 6) Improving communication and coordination. As there are many actors critical to the overall university cooperation process - universities, national and regional university associations, multilateral donors and foundations - a dialogue platform should be established that would facilitate communication, sharing of best practice and identification of synergies. (I.L./transl.rt)