Partly. ASAF services such as member registration and communication via email (info@asaf.africa for general information, membership@asaf.africa for specific questions regarding membership, and service@asaf.africa for content related questions) are maintained.
However, ASAF will follow the health recommendations of the European Commission. This means that, until green light is given, no events with physical presence will take place.
You can find the European Commission’s response to the COVID-19 pandemy here:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/health/coronavirus-response_en

ASAF is a platform offering opportunities for exchange, collaboration and capacity building to African beneficiaries of international mobility scholarships funded by the European Union and supported by the African Union.

• contribute to the political dialogue between the African Union and the European Union, in particular in the framework of the Africa-EU Partnership and the Africa-EU Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs
• contribute to Africa’s sustainable development through our proactiveness and our students’ and alumni’s skills and resources
• strengthen young people’s networking, innovation, participatory and leadership skills and skills for employability
• enhance student and alumni participation in the educational processes, strengthening links between higher education and the labour market
• promote dialogue and networking among stakeholder associations on issues of common concern
• “giving back”: make others aware of the international mobility opportunities which we have enjoyed and help them to do the same

ASAF offers you a platform to

• network: developing and becoming part of a Pan-African community spread across the whole continent gives you huge opportunities to interact with different people, to learn about different countries and cultures, and to make your own country and culture better known across the continent; to learn from others and let others learn from you, to exchange good tips and practices
• develop, implement and promote innovative projects for the benefit of young people, students and staff – in particular for improving skills and competences and building stakeholders’ capacities
• take part in training activities to improve your skills and know-how
• be part of a dialogue with policy makers on the modernisation of African higher education to better respond to today’s and tomorrow’s skills and labour market needs, and on the internationalisation and the harmonisation of higher education in Africa
• help stakeholders and decision makers from Africa and the European Union to furtherdevelop international mobility programmes and boost their impact
• proactively harness opportunities for community engagement and contributing to societal progress
• help to strengthen Africa’s common identity

Become a member and you can become involved in one of the task forces, work on the development of ASAF and help establish action plans for the specific task forces. Alternatively, volunteer and organize your own project/event by applying for the ASAF projects (more information will be provided soon). Share your expertise and knowledge and discuss current and relevant issues with other stakeholders! There are numerous great opportunities to become engaged within ASAF.

An individual can become a member of ASAF by filling in the online application form (https://community.asaf.africa/application). When all requirements have been met and the eligibility has been checked the applicant will be accepted as a member.

No, you do not have to pay to become part of ASAF.

No, ASAF is based on volunteer work and benefits from its engaged members. As a member you will get reimbursed for your expenses such as public transport to an event, visa costs, additional meals during travel and other costs such as accommodation, meals or travel will be covered by the Contractor for you when you take part in any official ASAF events. Please see the point: “Why join ASAF?” to understand what benefits you would receive by being part of ASAF.

ASAF focuses on programmes/projects that improve the quality of higher education and research capacities within Africa and can help national modernization efforts in the area of higher education. The focus is on cooperation and support between African universities as well as between African and EU universities, promoting and facilitating two-way mobility flows within Africa as well as between Africa and the European Union. Another aim of these projects is to involve young people through workshops, panel discussions and other activities to raise awareness of the African students’ needs.

ASAF is funded by the European Union in close cooperation with the African Union. A Contractor has been appointed to support ASAF’s setup concerning logistics, content, IT-issues and surveys etc., which is a consortium of the following companies:

• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
• PPW (pietzpluswild) GmbH
• Institute for Advanced Studies Vienna
• MOSAIC International Consulting

ASAF does not have a representative office. The Contractor holds an office that can be best compared to a representative’s office and may act on ASAF’s behalf for the time being.

No, ASAF does not have its own mentoring programme at the moment.

ASAF provides a platform for a variety of informative events about career opportunities and professional development.

No, ASAF does not have its own job search facility at the moment.

ASAF will conduct activities all over Africa and will empower its members to do so. Four regional kick-off workshops were already held in Ghana, Morocco, South Africa, and Ethiopia in November and December 2019. Other activities may include career fairs and local projects. More information will soon be provided in the ASAF online Community and on Facebook:

https://community.asaf.africa/

https://www.facebook.com/ASAFafrica/

Registered members of ASAF later on can organise their own activities through the „ASAF local Projects“ programme. More information on upcoming calls for local projects will soon be provided on the ASAF website.

In addition to national scholarship schemes, the EU offers a plethora of opportunities to study, train, gain experience, and volunteer abroad. Have a look at these pages to find ideas on scholarships with the Erasmus+ Programme ec.europa.eu/education/study-in-europe/planning-studies/scholarships-costs_en: https://ec.europa.eu/education/study-in-europe/planning-studies/scholarships-costs_en

...with the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/intra-africa_en

...or with the Nyerere Scholarship and Academic Mobility Programme implemented by the African Union: https://www.edu-au.org/programs/nyerere-scholarship-program

EC Scholarships for PhD studies are available under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme. The number of applicants accepted per PhD programme and programme deadlines depend on the field of study, usually called a "project". More information about the Marie Curie Actions programme and other European PhD scholarships and fellowships can be found on the Euraxess website: www.euraxess.de/jobs/funding/phd-fellowship-marie-sk%C5%82odowska-curie-itn-european-training-network-inspire-development.