Education for Laser-based Manufacturing (ELbM)

From 2016‑2020, the Intra‑Africa Academic Mobility Scheme supported student and staff mobility in Africa. Its overall objective was to enhance human capital development on the continent while strengthening intra‑African cooperation in higher education—as called for by Agenda 2063.

The programme's specific objectives were to:

• Increase the employability of students,
• Improve the quality of higher education in Africa and its relevance to Africa's development vision,
• Strengthen the modernisation and internationalisation of African higher education institutions, and
• Promote the development of an African higher education and research space.

Mobility of students and staff between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) aimed to help them acquire stronger knowledge and skills, thereby contributing to improved teaching and learning through the exchange of best practices.

In addition, the scheme sought to bolster the modernisation and internationalisation strategies of HEIs by establishing mechanisms to manage mobility flows—thus increasing the capacity of these institutions to forge partnerships and undertake joint research and collaborative projects.

Furthermore, the programme aimed to bring together HEIs from different regions by setting up adequate mechanisms for organising exchanges, such as comparing curricula and recognising study periods abroad. This approach was intended to enhance the harmonisation and standardisation of higher education in line with the African Union Strategy for the Harmonisation of Higher Education.

Set up under the Pan‑African Programme (Development Cooperation Instrument) and drawing on the experience of the Intra‑ACP Academic Mobility Scheme, the Intra‑Africa Academic Mobility Scheme was managed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and under the supervision of the Directorate‑General for International Partnerships (INTPA) of the European Commission.