Tunis will host a major European-African education cooperation conference from April 20 to 23. The conference will bring together Erasmus+, the European Union’s flagship programme supporting education, training, youth and sport across Europe and beyond; INDIRE, Italy’s National Institute for Documentation, Innovation and Technological Research, which acts as the Italian National Agency for Erasmus+; MedNet, the Mediterranean Network of Student Representatives; UNIMED, the Union of Mediterranean Universities; and the National Erasmus+ Office in Tunisia.
The event, titled “Erasmus+ Aiming Higher: Mediterranean Bridges Across Africa and Europe for Shared Academic Pathways,” aims to expand existing partnerships and create new university collaborations. It comes as Erasmus+ prepares its objectives for the 2028 to 2034 period.
Organisers hope the conference will allow European and African participants to discuss shared academic priorities and challenges.
Focus on Erasmus Mundus Scholarships and Mobility
Around 170 representatives from universities and higher education institutions are expected to attend, including delegates from MedNet member countries, the Southern Mediterranean, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The gathering is intended to encourage networking and support the development of joint initiatives addressing common needs in teaching, research, and innovation.
Erasmus+ will present its international higher education strategies, including Capacity Building for Higher Education, which supports institutional development and modernisation, and Erasmus Mundus, a European Union funded scholarship programme offering international master’s degree opportunities for students worldwide.
The conference will also examine International Credit Mobility projects, which support exchanges involving students, academic staff, and administrative personnel between participating countries. These schemes are widely recognised for improving professional skills and promoting intercultural understanding.
Strengthening Mediterranean and African Academic Links
Flaminio Galli, INDIRE’s Director General, said the conference was taking place at a “strategic moment” for academic cooperation between Europe and Africa. He expressed support for building new bridges between universities and developing more inclusive models of collaboration.
Conference organisers said the event is expected to strengthen higher education links between both shores of the Mediterranean and the wider African continent.
For the full agenda and additional details, organisers have invited participants to view the official conference information online.
