SHARE_Africa - Science Hubs for Advanced Research & Education with Africa

• Coordinator: “Italian Higher Education with Africa” Foundation (IHEA)
• Partner universities: Politecnico di Milano, University of Bologna, University of Florence, University of Padua, Sapienza University of Rome, University of Naples “Federico II”
• Target area: Africa, with a focus on Ethiopia, Tunisia, Tanzania, Kenya, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Uganda
• UNIBO budget: €196,606.08

SHARE_Africa forms part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) strategy to internationalise the Italian university system and promotes science diplomacy as a key tool for cooperation between Europe and Africa. Building on the experience of the “Italian Higher Education with Africa” Foundation (IHEA), which has been active since 2020, the project aims to strengthen peer-to-peer scientific collaboration between Italian and African academic institutions.

The project’s vision is to build a strategic network for education and science diplomacy, focusing on two key areas for the launch of the first science hubs: Tunisia and Ethiopia. These countries have been identified as priority nodes in the Italy–Africa dialogue due to their academic, geopolitical, migratory and industrial relevance. The project places early-career African academics—young researchers already working in local universities—at its core, recognising their potential to become true ambassadors of knowledge between the two continents.

SHARE_Africa is fully aligned with the Joint Africa–EU Strategy (JAES) and the AU–EU Innovation Agenda, helping to reinforce ties between Africa and Europe in science, technology and innovation (STI).

The project is structured around three main objectives. The first is the creation of Italo-African science hubs to foster long-term cooperation. These hubs will serve as dynamic spaces where education and research come together, with the potential to shape policy frameworks for effective science diplomacy. The second objective is to boost educational innovation through mutual learning. To this end, the project will develop a shared training portfolio comprising six interuniversity specialisation Master’s programmes (60 ECTS), co-designed with African partners. The programmes will address topics of relevance in both contexts and align with the six missions of the NRRP, including resilience, the green transition and the digital transition. Finally, the project seeks to enhance the international research capacity of doctoral students by promoting joint research initiatives, co-supervisions, shared publications, and the use of open-source tools. Research topics will be identified collaboratively and in line with the educational pathways developed.