Brussels, 01/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - Around one hundred delegations, most of them from African universities, together with several experts from higher education in Europe, met up last week in Cape Town (South Africa), for a conference organised in the framework of the EU-Africa summit. The summit aimed to hold discussions regarding a partnership between the EU and Africa, in an effort to encourage academic mobility and revitalise higher education in Africa. At this event the European University Association (EUA) presented its White Paper which it published with regard to this partnership. The White Paper includes several recommendations (EUROPE 10224). At the end of the conference, the EU and its African partners published a joint declaration, which they sent to European and African heads of state attending the EU-Africa summit. This declaration includes three essential messages:
- Global challenges can be tackled through proactive, efficient and sustainable partnerships in higher education. These partnerships can provide new research and teaching capacity, allowing universities to act as powerful driving forces for the economy and the transfer of knowledge.
- To this end, programmes such as the European programme for cooperation and mobility Erasmus Mundus and Edu-Link, the ACP-EU cooperation programme for higher education and the new African Nyerere mobility programme should be continually enhanced and developed. Intra and inter-regional mobility schemes set up for students and academic personnel should assess the impact of the initiatives implemented and consider what resources are necessary to ensure appropriate mobility.
- An exchange and dialogue platform should be set up, which embraces enhanced cooperation between European and African actors, under the guidance of the European Union, the African Union, member states, donors and institutions of higher education. This will increase the exchange of good practices, facilitate new partnerships, enhance the EU-Africa strategic partnership and act as a structure for cooperation policy. (I.L./transl.fl)