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"'Educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations'. Senator William Fulbright As the debate on internationalisation of higher education grows stronger, so does the interest in mobility not only of students, but also of staff. This is likely to intensify in the coming months, as the European Commission's new Erasmus+ programme, starting in 2014, promises more opportunities and funding for higher education and teaching staff to study, train and work in another country. Indeed, higher education staff will account for a significant percentage of the 1 million beneficiaries of a mobility period funded by the programme between 2014 and 2020. Staff mobility is seen as a vital and often cost-effective means of creating 'internationalisation at home' - enabling students to (in)directly experience another higher education culture on site. It is also widely believed that staff mobility has an additional value in acting as a catalyst for student mobility. "

With financial support from the government of Sweden, the AAU will make grants of up to US$600 per person to help post-graduate university students acquire practical skills via internships of 12-24 weeks. The grants are for training purposes only, not for the completion of theses or dissertations. The program is open to students in AAU member institutions in southern and eastern Africa, and in Francophone member institutions. The deadline for applications (English, French) is 15 August 2016.

"The Erasmus Mundus International Masters in Rural Development (IMRD) programme offers the opportunity to study international visions on rural development to students both from within as outside of the European Union. Students are offered the opportunity to become a specialist in integrated rural development, through a two year master programme jointly organised by six European leading institutes in Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, in collaboration with several partners in the United States, China, Ecuador, India and South Africa."

In collaboration with CORAF/WECARD and Canada's IDRC, IITA will support 20 individuals for PhD and masters research in agriculture for development in West and Central Africa. Applications are invited from qualified individuals in Chad, Dem Rep Congo, Sierra Leone, and Togo who are currently registered in PhD. or masters programs in recognized universities, and who are not more than 40 years old. The program particularly invites applications from women. The accepted applicants will be offered coaching and training through IITA to build their research knowledge and skills.

RUFORUM announces a call for applications for research scholarships to support the finalization of PhD research, data analysis, thesis write-up, publication, and dissemination of findings. Scholarships will be awarded on a competitive basis to Intra-ACP Academic Mobility students registered in one of the five African programmes listed in the announcement, and who are finalizing their studies. The deadline for applications is 30 September 2015.

"What is the Teacher Education and Professional Development program? The Teacher Education and Professional Development program is a partnership between USAID, the Ministry of Education and the private sector. The Government's commitment to universal primary education includes a commitment to improving the quality of education even as the number of students increases. The program builds the skills and expertise of educators, and enables Kenya's public teacher training colleges to prepare teachers to deliver quality education by strengthening pre-service training and linking it to in-service professional development. USAID supports this program by transferring knowledge of international practices in teacher education and institution building, and by providing technology to enhance teacher training and the classroom experience. The Permanent Secretary of Education visited the pilot sites and evaluated the program to inform a Government strategy to roll out integration of technology in classrooms throughout Kenya. "

"Call for Papers The JVET Conference Committee are pleased to be able to invite contributions to the highly successful biennial JVET conference. This meeting has been providing a lively and stimulating forum for debates concerning all aspects of work and learning since 1995. Contributions are welcome in the following areas of vocational and professional education and training, and contributions to any area of debate in VET will be considered: Globalization and skills Vocational Education in times of crisis Access to VET for minoritised groups VET policy The changing institutional context of VET Curriculum and assessment in VET The student experience of VET Work-related Learning 200 word abstracts of papers should be submitted by January 31 2013. Acceptance will be notified by 28 February 2013. Email your abstract to Pete Sanderson at p.j.sanderson@hud.ac.uk Enquiries about the Conference can be addressed to Bill Bailey at b.bailey@gre.ac.uk"

"‌‌The Education Policy Outlook provides forward-thinking comparative analysis of educational policies and reforms. For policy makers, practitioners and analysts, it reviews different education policies and practices that have been initiated across OECD member countries. This with the clear objective to share best practices and inspired solutions for collective educational challenges, such as: raising student outcomes, supporting school improvement, and organising education systems so as to deliver education policy more effectively. The Education Policy Outlook brings together analysis of individual countries' educational contexts, challenges, policies and comparative insight in the areas of trends, policies and reforms."

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences University of Botswana EU-Africa Doctoral Student Network (DocLinks) African Network for Agricultural Education (ANAFE)

The key messages in this brief are as follows: 1) Engineering can help Africa unlock its huge potential for economic growth and development and make faster progress toward the Millennium Development Goals. 2) However, there is a serious lack of engineering capacity in Africa and heavy reliance on imported expertise in engineering. 3) Higher education institutions need to change their approach to teaching engineering so that graduates are creative problem-solvers. Engineering courses also need to be oriented towards market and development needs. 4) Women are under-represented in engineering education, constituting less than 10 percent of the student population in Ghana, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe in 2010. 5) Few African countries have established a robust accreditation system. In addition to improving national accreditation, regional accreditation of engineering professionals should be encouraged so that engineers have greater mobility within Africa. 6) A proposed World Bank initiative, the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) will build capacity for technical, vocational and higher education in African countries.

"Weak linkages between Tertiary Agricultural Education(TAE) institutions and business enterprises is stifling entrepreneurship and economic development in Africa. This theme dominated discussions during the international Agribusiness Education Fair currently underway at the World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Kenya. The three-day Fair, whose objective to improve Agribusiness teaching, research and practice through stronger linkages between Training/research institutions and the private sector' brings together academicians, the private sector, International Non-Governmental Organizations, policy makers, students and entrepreneurs drawn from across Africa. "

Sent: 2014-05-20 13:49 #1 Subject: Successful initiatives to curb youth unemployment in Africa From: UNESCO-UNEVOC [unevoc@unesco.org] Dear e-Forum members, We are happy to share with you four videos - published by the UNESCO Office in Dakar - that showcase successful initiatives of technical and vocational training projects that give youth a better chance to find decent work. The videos focus on innovative projects in Benin, Nigeria and Senegal, which have proven effective in providing youth with skills and competences in demand. The series of the videos present: The Songhai Centre in Benin is a sustainable micro-enterprise that trains young Africans. It is considered a best practice model for rural development, sustainable development, employment and training for young people, and the self-financing of business creation. http://youtu.be/Z4K68WYtqXg The recognition of skills acquired in informal training in Senegal is an initiative that cater for the numerous young people who are being trained in the informal sector, such as car mechanics, tailors etc. The aim of the initiative is to put in place structures that allow for this training to be recognized at the same level as formal training. http://youtu.be/6RBSh5HtJgk Auchi Polytechnic in Nigeria is an Institute that facilitates the integration into the formal sector of some 30,000 graduates every year. Some years ago, a CEDAP village, which is center for entrepreneurship development, was created within the Polytechnic. Students are equipped with necessary skills in areas such as fish farming, carpentry, making of soap, shoes and pottery. http://youtu.be/NkievLtALug Sectoral centres in Senegal: public and private partnership are the result of a public/private partnership, which has proven efficient to provide training based a competency-based approach.It's currently present in three different areas. http://youtu.be/Hm_sD_-2pZw Best regards, UNESCO-UNEVOC

The Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund (ABCF) seeks applicants with innovative ideas for research projects (up to 12 months) aligned with national, regional or continental agricultural development priorities. ABCF is fellowship program that develops capacity for agricultural biosciences research in Africa and supports research projects that ultimately contribute towards increasing food and nutritional security and / or food safety in Africa. Applicants must be scientists or graduate students affiliated with a NARI or African University, and conducting research in the areas of food and nutritional security or food safety in Africa. Closing date for applications: March 31st 2015.

"Organizations in developing countries are invited to submit a project proposal that addresses a horticultural problem facing local farmers, which would also include the involvement of a graduate student consultant. The maximum funding available for each project is $2,000 USD, with funding available for 15 projects. The deadline to submit proposals is Jan. 18, 2016"

Development institutions are learning new ways to share knowledge. The traditional hierarchical model of training, in which information is passed down from teacher to student, or donor to recipient, is not always the most effective. Instead, partnerships are emerging through which experiences can be shared.

SIERRA LEONE - The School of Natural Resources Management Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries management at Njala University has conducted a training workshop on sustainable integrated aquaculture - fish cum rice and poultry production.

"En 2009, un programme d'alimentation scolaire inspiré d'un programme national d'alimentation scolaire brésilien a été lancé en Amérique latine et aux Caraïbes. Grâce à une politique intersectorielle et à des mécanismes juridiques, il a mis au point des interventions d'éducation alimentaire et nutritionnelle et a encouragé à acheter pour le programme des produits locaux issus de l'agriculture familiale. Alors qu'au départ, cinq pays participaient au projet, les pays partenaires sont aujourd'hui au nombre de 14. En 2013, une enquête conduite dans huit pays participants a montré que non seulement les programmes encourageaient la fréquentation scolaire et favorisaient le processus d'apprentissage, mais aussi qu'ils augmentaient les revenus des agriculteurs des communautés. "