The Istituto Italiano di Cultura Addis Abeba hosted the first consortium meeting of the UNITAFRICA project (Empowering Academic Cooperation between Italy and Africa), with the participation of rectors and professors from 18 countries of the African continent, in addition to representatives of numerous Italian universities.
It is a strategic initiative (within the TNE-Transnational Education Initiatives projects) aimed at promoting joint training, research and international academic cooperation, involving 21 Italian and 78 African universities partners of UNITAFRICA Alliance (among them the 11 Ethiopian universities of Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Dire Dawa, Hawassa, Haramaya, Jimma, Madda Walabu, Mekelle, Wolaita Sodo, Wollo).
After the welcome message from the Director of Istituto Italiano di Cultura Addis Abeba, Semen Kumurzhi, the two-day symposium was opened by:
– Ambassador of Italy to Ethiopia, Agostino Palese;
– Permanent Representative to the African Union, Maurizio Busanelli;
– Rector of the University of Brescia, Francesco Castelli (project leader);
– Rectors of some African universities.
The initiative has contributed to consolidating Italy’s leading role in the sector of cultural and inter-university collaboration with African countries.