On 25 and 26 February, the closing meeting of the UNITAFRICA project, coordinated by the University of Brescia, was held in Bari. UNITAFRICA is an innovative platform for education and international mobility for students, teachers and administrative staff from 21 Italian universities and 78 universities spread across 18 countries on the African continent.
The project began in October 2024 and, over the course of a year and a half (ending in May 2026), involved the organisation of 24 training courses focusing on six subject areas, 277 physical mobility programmes for study and research activities, over 160 mobility programmes for project meetings, 6 webinars, and a platform for innovative teaching (PIT), with the creation of 8 permanent thematic groups and a charter for the Alliance between Italian and African Universities.
The two-day event provided an opportunity for university systems to meet to present the final results of the project, assess its impact, discuss opportunities and challenges, plan long-term developments and explore strategies for future sustainability.
The meeting was attended by over 80 guests representing the African and Italian universities partnering in the project, more than half of which were African universities from 18 different countries, including Senegal, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Ghana, Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Africa and Cape Verde.
The first day began with institutional greetings from the Rector of the University of Brescia, Francesco Castelli, and representatives from MUR, Dr Michela Mazzola, MAECI, Dr Lorenza Gambacorta, and Elisa Masi from AICS.
This was followed by the presentation of the final results of the project by Prof. Sorlini: from the digital platform to the numerous training courses and mobility programmes, concluding with the presentation of the results of the Unitafrica Survey, which involved more than 150 participants in the project activities. Ample space was devoted to the assessment of the impact generated by the project activities, with a particular focus on mobility and training courses. A discussion was also opened on the strengths and weaknesses encountered, with the aim of identifying concrete proposals for improvement and future development trajectories.
The second day focused on the long-term perspective, with sessions dedicated to the construction of an Italy-Africa Alliance and strategic group work: educational activities, international mobility and administrative functions, and research.
The discussion also included a round table discussion attended by the four scientific attachés from the embassies in Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Johannesburg and Dakar, together with rectors and delegates from Italian and African universities, aimed at defining priorities, needs and next steps for more stable and effective Italy-Africa academic cooperation.
Co-design, mutual learning and sustainable partnerships: three key concepts that encapsulate the philosophy of the project and promise lasting collaborations for teaching, inter-university dialogue and international cooperation that benefits everyone, contributing to the harmonious and peaceful development of peoples for a global community with a prosperous future.
For more information, please visit the website www.unitafrica.it