On December 10th, the University of Nouakchott hosted the dissemination conference, marking an important moment for EU-Africa higher education cooperation. The event provided a platform to present the project’s achievements and its impact at personal, institutional, and regional levels.
At the personal level, university staff, who participated in the mobility exchanges foreseen by the project, shared their testimonies. They spoke about the opportunities they had, with some participating in exchanges from North to South (Italy and Spain to Mauritania and Niger), South to North (Mauritania and Niger to Italy and Spain) and South to South between African Universities (Niger to Mauritania and vice-versa). Each type of mobility allowed participants to develop professional skills, build new collaborations, and strengthen the international visibility and capacity of their universities.
In addition, students shared their experiences from virtual exchange activities, highlighting the importance of intercultural dialogue and the opportunity to share meaningful moments with peers from other countries. The initiative created a virtual space connecting students from Italy, Mauritania, and Niger, offering an experience of internationalisation at home, strengthening their intercultural competences
At the institutional level, the five Mauritanian and Nigerien universities, partners of the project, presented their outcomes, demonstrating how the project strengthened capacities in internationalization and enhanced the effectiveness of administrative and academic staff. It is also important to note that new agreements and partnerships are emerging among the partner universities, aimed at fostering scientific cooperation on shared themes and common priorities.
At the regional level, Euro-African cooperation was reinforced through presentations by speakers from the project partner countries (Italy, Spain, Mauritania, and Niger) who shared insights on collaborative strategies, lessons learned, current challenges, notably related to visa issues, in fostering the academic cooperation between the two regions, and opportunities for future partnerships.
The conference also facilitated dialogue with other African higher education systems, including Algeria and Senegal, represented respectively by the University of Bejaia and the University of Ziguinchor, opening avenues for further collaboration and synergies across the continent.
High-level institutional representatives attended the event, including the Mauritanian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, which presented the country’s internationalization strategy and the impact of Erasmus+ projects; the Ambassador of the European Union to Mauritania; the Italian Ambassador to Mauritania; and the Rectors of the University of Nouakchott, the Lebanese International University of Mauritania and the newly established University of Nouadhibou.
As the GOOD MAUR-NIG project nears completion, organizers emphasized that the networks, partnerships, and collaborative practices established during its implementation are expected to continue long after the project officially ends.