Intra-ACP

Academic Mobility Scheme: Enhancing the Quality of Higher

Education in Africa

Conference

Polytechnic of Namibia, 16-17 November 2015

Conference objectives

2

Good practices

Challenges and opportunities

Solutions

Networking

First outcomes and results

Lessons learnt

3

Individuals

•New skills developped

•Higher academic qualifications obtained

•Better employability

•Academic outcomes of the mobility

Institutions

•Mobility management capacity

•Existence and structure of an international relations

• Increased level of internationalisation

•Attractiveness

Regions/

Continent

•Contribution to brain retention

•Comparison of curricula and harmonisation

•Developments in academic recognition, e.g. credit transfer

Looking Backwards: Achievements and Results (Day 1)

Looking Forward: Outcomes to Build on (Day 2)

4

A Successful academic mobility project

Quaility Assurance

mechanisms

Measures for recognition of

studies

Strategies for sustainability

Participants

5

2011 partnerships

(3)

2012 and 2013

partnerships

(12) EACEA

Directorate General

Development and Cooperation

African Union

Commission

Scholarship Holders

Intra-ACP

Academic Mobility Scheme:

Achievements and outcomes to date

Lot Africa

Klaus HAUPT, Head of Unit

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

European Commission

Intra-ACP selection results - Africa

Overall, more than 1500 students and staff mobility planned

15 partnerships

involving 157 HEIs from 32 countries

Sele

ction

2011

3

Sele

ction

2012

5

Sele

ction

2013

7

8

9

10

11

Lot 1 - Africa

Coordinating HEI Project

STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY (South Africa)

TRECCAfrica - Transdisciplinary Training for Resource Efficiency and Climate Change Adaptation in Africa

POLYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA (Namibia)

STREAM- Strengthening African Higher Education Through Academic Mobility

INSTITUT INTERNATIONAL D'INGENIERIE DE L'EAU ET DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT (Burkina Faso)

PIMASO - Partenariat Intra-africain pour une mobilité sur l'environnement

2011 Projects

OUTCOMES

MOBILITY IMPLEMENTATION

13

14

15

16

69% of 284 student are from the partner HEIs

Staff mobility possible only among the partner HEIs

17

18

19

ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES AND LESSONS

LEARNT

20

Source: Progress Reports received from partnerships since 2012 and Mobility Survey carried out in November 2014

Intra-ACP Partnerships: moving together

Mobility Which

outcomes challenges?

Institutions

Country/Region

Individuals

Achievements

Contribution to personal and academic skills:

Qualifications upgraded

Skills improved: Problem-solving, self-confidence, self-management skills

Ability to use foreign languages

More and better career perspectives

22

Individuals

23

Individuals

Where do you personally see the greatest impact of your Intra-ACP experience?

Achievements

Increased quality and visibility of the HEIs

Establishment of new agreements with different HEIs

Quality research projects and publications

Upgrading qualifications of the academic staff

Institutions

Achievements

International relations and management structures

Establishment of international students liaison office

Improved facilities to attract international students

Increased number of student-orientated activities

Improved selection and admission processes

Institutions

Achievements

Improved mobility management

Financial Management of allowances and participation costs by partners

Lowering tuition fees or fee-waiver policy

Increased quality of institutional services

Feedback from scholarship holders through surveys

Institutions

Achievements

Revision of curricula

Adaptation and improvement in curricula

Increased commitment of students to academic excellence

Establishment of new PhD programmes

Academic recognition mechanisms

Understanding of different education systems

Practices on harmonising curricula

Comparisons of programs via students & staff

Credit exchange mechanisms among the partners

Institutions

Achievements

28

Support to the South-South cooperation highly appreciated

Contribution to the internationalisation of HEIs in the ACP

Enhancement in the capacity of the HEIs involved

Contribution to arrangements for credit transfer and diploma recognition

Country/Region

Challenges

• Difficulty to respect the mobility requirements:

–Range of distribution per type of mobility

–Maximum 10% per nationality

–Deadline to start the mobility flows

• Focus on students at partner institutions

• No mobility from diaspora

• Gender balance is not in favour of women

29

Challenges

• Fixed academic offer at the time of application

• Differences among HE sectors and lack of common system for credit transfer

• Preference for degree-seeking mobility or exchange for research

• Student and/or learning agreements not always signed

30

Challenges

• Time consuming admission and visa issuing process

• Difficulty to find an insurance company with a coverage in whole Africa

• Financial management of the grant due to internal procedures of some institutions

– Long financial procedures

– No project specific account

– Loss due to currency fluctuations

31

Lessons learnt

• Promotion of the scholarship opportunities among non-partner institutions and diaspora

• Cross-cutting issues to be addressed better

• Better timing for selection of scholarship holders and admission to host HEI

32

Lessons learnt

• Academic offer to adapt to the needs and requests

• Availability of comparable academic programmes at home and host HEIs

• Further cooperation for comparing and harmonising the curricula

33

Lessons learnt

• More institutional support before and during the mobility

– Student/learning agreements (students)

– Work plan (staff)

– Visa, travel, insurance

• Quality: Regular feedback to be asked from Regular feedback individuals in mobility and from partners (e.g. local management offices)

• Adaptation of financial procedures to programme requirements

• A project dedicated account in EUR

34

Questions?

35

Chairperson:

Dr Anna Matros-Goreses

36

Next Session: Impact on institutions

Intra-ACP

Academic Mobility Scheme: Enhancing the Quality of Higher

Education in Africa

Conference

Polytechnic of Namibia, 16-17 November 2015