Last October 8, 2020, in the 'virtual' presence of the then Minister of University and Research Gaetano Manfredi, Sapienza University signed the deed of incorporation of the IHEA Foundation 'Italian Higher Education with Africa', set up together with the Polytechnic University of Milan, the Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, the University of Florence, the University of Naples Federico II and the University of Padua.

That consolidates an almost two-year process aimed at promoting the internationalisation of Italian universities in Africa and contributing to local development with a view to cooperation. The Foundation, which has elected Professor Eugenio Gaudio as its President, aims to develop education and training for students living in African countries through appropriate interdisciplinary scientific methods and promote support and refresher courses for personnel and academic staff of local universities.

Specifically, the universities that are part of the Foundation aim to:

• enable virtual mobility for African students in the first and second semesters of the 2020-21 academic year;
• activate a first-level inter-university Advanced Professional Course (60 ECTS) starting from the  2021-22 academic year, inspired by the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063, dedicated to young researchers and lecturers from African partner universities;
• activate a Bachelor's degree programme.

VIRTUAL MOBILITY

The virtual mobility programme has been the first project launched within the framework of the IHEA Foundation. To this end, bilateral agreements have been signed between Italian universities, Foundation members, and interested African universities. These specific virtual mobility agreements provide for selecting a prearranged number of African students who are offered the opportunity to participate in specific online courses organised by Italian universities.

The virtual mobility programme will be activated at Sapienza starting from the second semester of the 2020-21 academic year. At the same time as the signing of bilateral agreements for virtual mobility between our university and some African universities, Sapienza has mapped its courses offered in the English language organised by individual professors remotely. In turn, the African universities taking part in the initiative have selected their own students interested in attending distance learning courses.

The African students who will take part in the project, in addition to being exchange students in their own right, will also be supported in terms of academic tutoring by their Italian colleagues for the duration of the virtual mobility. At the end of the exchange period, an academic transcript will be issued upon passing the exams.

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