BRIEFING Implementation in Action EU-Africa academic cooperation SUMMARY According to the 2019 Eurobarometer report, three in four Europeans (75 %) think that 'the EU should strengthen its partnership with Africa and increase financial investments to create jobs and ensure sustainable development on both continents'. Investing in people, through education, science, technology and skills development, is one of the priorities of the EU-Africa strategic partnership. This priority was identified during the 5th African Union – European Union Summit, held in 2017, and should be one of the priorities in the new 'post- 2020' EU-Africa strategy. The measures envisaged under the current strategy include academic cooperation and mobility of students, researchers and academic staff. This briefing outlines the implementation of three elements of EU-Africa academic cooperation, namely the measures taken under the Erasmus+ programme, the Intra-Africa academic mobility scheme and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions of the Horizon 2020 programme, as well as other initiatives involving higher education and research institutions from both continents. Introduction The long-standing cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries is based on the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement ('Cotonou Agreement'). This agreement was signed on 23 June 2000 for a 20-year period (revised in 2010 and in 2014) at the 1st Africa-European Union Summit, to provide for a formal political channel of cooperation between the two continents. The agreement was preceded by the Map 1 – Africa 1975 Lomé Convention. Seventy-nine ACP countries (48 countries from sub-Saharan Africa, 16 from the Caribbean and 15 from the Pacific) are parties to the Cotonou Agreement. EU cooperation with five Northern African countries (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia) is, meanwhile, based on the Southern Neighbourhood policy. The Cotonou Agreement expires on 29 February 2020. To allow time to conclude negotiations on a new 'post-Cotonou' agreement, the validity of the current agreement may be prolonged until 31 December 2020. On 28 November 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the ongoing negotiations. After signing the Cotonou Agreement, cooperation was strengthened in 2002 with the launch of the African Union Source: Map of Africa (AU) (as the successor to the Organisation of African Unity), EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service Author: Anna Zygierewicz Ex-Post Evaluation Unit PE 642.810 – December 2019 EN EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service a continental body consisting of 55 Graph 1 – Africa-EU partnership African member states, one of its objectives being the encouragement of international cooperation. AU-EU summits took place in 2007, 2010, 2014 and 2017 (see conclusions of the 2017 summit below). The 6th summit is scheduled for 2020. Ministerial summits and commission- to-commission meetings also take Source: Africa-EU partnership, European Commission. place on occasion. The European Parliament has delegations for relations with: a) South Africa; b) the Pan-African Parliament; c) the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly; and d) the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union (DMAG), including the EU-Morocco, EU-Tunisia and EU-Algeria Joint Parliamentary Committees. There are also forums for thematic cooperation, e.g. the EU-Africa Business Forum and the Africa-EU Civil Society Forum. In 2007, during the 2nd Africa-EU Summit, a Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES) was adopted, with a view to strengthening political dialogue and Table 1 – Africa and the EU in brief statistics enhancing cooperation within the Africa- EU Partnership. Africa EU In the academic field, more specifically, at Number of countries 55* 28 the 2015 Valletta Summit on migration, in the political declaration and in the action Surface 30.2 million km² 4.3 million km² plan, European and African leaders Population 1.3 billion (2017) 513.5 million (2019) expressed in part the need to secure the mobility of students, researchers and Share of 15-24 year- entrepreneurs, and to substantially olds in total 19 % (2015) 10.8 % (2018) population increase the number of Erasmus+ scholarships for African students and Share of population 41 % (2015) 16 % (2016) academic staff. The summit also launched below 15 years old the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. Real GDP per capita €1 849 (2017) €28 000 (2016) In September 2018, the Commission Tertiary education Around 15 million launched a new Africa-Europe Alliance for 19.6 million (2016) students (2017) Sustainable Investment and Jobs Source: EPRS, based on a variety of data sources. (COM(2018) 643), with 'investment in * With the exception of South Sudan, 54 out of 55 countries are signatory to education and matching skills and jobs' as the Cotonou agreement. one of the key objectives. In the document, the Commission announced that it would support exchange projects between higher education institutions (HEIs) through the Erasmus+ programme, and the mobility of students, staff and academics across the African continent through the Inter-Africa mobility scheme. According to the Commission's latest data, the alliance has already delivered on advancing cooperation in education and skills, with a view to improving employability in Africa. 5th African Union – European Union Summit In November 2017, the 5th African Union-European Union Summit defined four main areas of cooperation, one of them being (for the first time) 'Investing in people', covering education, science, technology and innovation (STI), and skills development. 2 EU-Africa academic cooperation In the area of higher education (HE), the priorities agreed for EU-Africa cooperation are to: a) promote the mobility of students, scholars, researchers and staff; b) harmonise higher education in Africa; c) enhance quality assurance and accreditation in African universities; and d) develop centres of excellence in Africa, in particular through the Pan-African University. The mobility of students, scholars, researchers and staff is to continue to be supported, not least by: a) the African Union Mwalimu Nyerere Scholarship Scheme; b) the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme; and c) the Erasmus+ programme and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions. Harmonisation is to be achieved through the Tuning Africa project and quality assurance via the Harmonisation, Quality Assurance and Accreditation (HAQAA) programme. The EU-Africa cooperation priorities in the area of STI, as defined by the EU-Africa High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on STI, are to encourage cooperation between researchers as well as to develop a long-term innovation partnership. This led in September 2019 to the launch of the Africa-Europe Innovation Partnership. STI cooperation will be supported by various funding instruments, such as the EU's Horizon 2020 programme and the African Union Research Grants. The 7th framework programme for research (FP7) funded around 600 collaborative research projects involving around 1 400 participants from 45 African countries. The EU also supports the Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards for leading African scientists. In the run-up to the summit, the Commission launched a survey of young students and alumni in Africa, asking them about how existing structures and initiatives can contribute to strengthening the informed voice of students in universities. The questionnaire looked at three dimensions: a) reinforcing students and alumni capacities in Africa; b) enhancing the role of students in educational processes; and c) strengthening innovation in higher education. African Union's strategic documents on education and STI In 2016, the African Union published the Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2016-2025 (CESA 16-25). The strategy states, not least, that 'harmonized education and training systems are essential for the realization of Intra- Africa mobility and academic integration through regional Eurobarometer report cooperation'. on development cooperation In October 2019, the African Union The 2019 Eurobarometer report on EU citizens and published the Science, Technology and development cooperation showed that the vast majority Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (86 %) of EU citizens are in favour of helping people in (STISA-2024), with a mission to developing countries. 'Accelerate Africa's transition to an Seven out of ten respondents thought that tackling innovation-led, Knowledge-based poverty in developing countries should be one of the main Economy'. The strategy sees education priorities of the EU. Seven in ten also thought that and human resource development as 'providing financial assistance to developing countries is an one of the elements needed to achieve effective way to strengthen the EU’s influence in the world', wealth creation (one of the priorities). while for 75 % of respondents providing developing STISA-2024 is also geared towards countries with financial assistance is a means of achieving strengthening international 'a more peaceful and fairer world'. cooperation, not least by exploiting Peace, security and education were indicated as the most 'mutually beneficial structures for the pressing challenges for the future of developing countries. inclusion of research and innovation Thus, it is not a surprise that three in four respondents calls under international research (75 %) thought that 'the EU should strengthen its funding programmes such as the partnership with Africa and increase financial investments European Union Horizon