Under the theme "Collaboration in Action: Alumni and Stakeholders Shaping the Future of Higher Education," the EU-supported forum delivered ground-breaking discussions on advancing Africa's academic landscape. Key sessions focused on strengthening EU-Africa cooperation in education, stakeholder involvement in Higher Education, sustainable funding and resource mobilisation. Topics like employability and skills development were discussed with relevant participants and invited guests. A particular emphasis on developing sustainable funding mechanisms – a critical challenge – was addressed by renowned scholar Dr Adugna Abebe in his keynote presentation.

Mr Yenesew Alene, ASAF's  Ambassador to Ethiopia and the project leader, noted that innovative institutional financing models and the formation of strategic alliances should be implemented in African higher education to ensure their continued sustainability.

The event's partnership with the University of Gondar carried special significance, coinciding with the university’s celebration of 70 years of academic excellence and 100 years of specialised hospital service. This collaboration highlighted how African universities can drive continental progress through strategic alliances.

ASAF, funded by the European Union's Erasmus+ Programme by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), serves as a vital platform connecting African students and professionals who have benefitted from EU and AU mobility programmes. The forum continues to play a pivotal role in fostering capacity-building, knowledge exchange, and policy development across African higher education institutions.

Participants left the event equipped with concrete strategies to enhance university-stakeholder collaboration, financial sustainability, graduate readiness, new professional connections, and clear roadmaps for implementing AU-EU funded projects. These outcomes promise to accelerate progress toward more accessible, relevant, and effective higher education systems across the continent.

This EU-supported event has planted seeds for transformative change. As Mr Yenesew concluded, "The solutions co-created here will reverberate across African higher education institutions for years to come."

 

Gondar, Ethiopia
Yenesew Alene Belew, Coambassador of ASAF to Ethiopia (coambassador.ethiopia@asaf.africa)
Edited by the Erasmus+ Support Service Team