Program of the seminar about academic cooperation betwen Africa and Spain

CONCEPT NOTE

Sub-Saharan Africa is one of Spain’s key foreign policy priorities, as a result of the adoption of the Third Plan Africa in 2019 and of the recent publication of the Focus Africa 2023, a document which will implement the Third Plan Africa during the current parliamentary period. In addition to this, the Spanish government’s Foreign Policy Strategy 2021-2024 identifies the following priorities:

1. The centrality of Public Diplomacy instruments, which will continue to reinforce Spain’s reputation: that of a modern, advanced and mature country.
2. The development of a Cultural and Scientific Diplomacy strategy, which is based on the fact that 7.5% of the world population speaks Spanish, a reality that demands a greater projection of Spain’s attractiveness as a higher education destination.
3. The exercise of Scientific and Technological Diplomacy, as a defining soft power tool.

Academic cooperation is currently an essentialtool in states’ external action, as it promotes mutual knowledge, it contributes to the development of countries and it creates a link between education, training and business internationalization.

African student mobility rates are currently the highestworldwide. Exponential demographic growth in the African continent will result in an increasing higher education and postgraduate studies demand, which African higher education institutions may not be able to meet in the short term.

The African demand will continue to grow, not only because of the strain of local universities, but also because of the prestige of foreign qualifications. As a result, African countries will support student mobility through scholarship and grant programs.

The African continentwill act as a market-leader, following estimates that indicate that there will be 80 million African students studying abroad in 2025. In 2013, African students accounted for 10% of global student mobility rates. Nigeria’s case is symptomatic: 71.351 out of the 14 million higher education students are enrolled in foreign universities. If we consider Cameroon, 23.000 out of 245.000 students study abroad. Zimbabwe, Ghana, Angola, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenia follow closely behind.

Africa is destined to take the place that Asia continues to monopolize in terms of international student recruitment. China’s firm aim to attract African students, who already represent 12% of its foreign student body, is beginning to change the playing fieldfor consolidated education powers such as France, though Campus France.

On the other hand, according to the Spanish Ministry of Universities and as published in the report “The economic impact of international studies in Spain 2020” –compiled by ICEX, EduEspaña, SEP and the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade –there were 1.044.898 international students in Spain during the 2018-2019 academic year, of which 15% were undergraduate and postgraduate students. Only 352 master students came from Sub-saharan Africa, which is a low figure compared to that of Latin America (14.615), Asia (5.050) and Northern Africa (671).

Spain’s international education position is still beneath the levels of our neighboring countries, despite the highly competitive offer of universities and higher education institutions compared to the European framework and compared to destinations such as the UK or the US, in terms of tuition fees, the prestige of qualifications and the attractiveness of the Spanish culture. Spain offers theundoubtable advantage of having a universal language and culture, with a widespread geographical presence, also in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite the efforts of Spanish universities during previous years, particularly towards French-speaking countries in Western Africa, where there is a higher number of Spanish students, which have enabled student mobility through the creation of student and teacher collaboration networks, Spain has not been able to benefit from the great potential of the current context.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, SEPIE and Casa África have organized this seminar, which will bring together the main actors in terms of education and research internationalization of Spain who have an interest in Africa. The purpose of this seminar is to fuel the debate on how to boost higher education cooperation with Africa and how to improve the support of public administrations. During this event, we will reflect on the opportunities and challenges raised by the increasing African student mobility throughout the entire educational process. We will discuss the study of Spanish language in primary and secondary education, the existing education opportunities for African students in Spain (cooperation agreements, scholarships and other grants), professional training, business schools, the link with the business sector and professional internship opportunities.

The seminar will be held in Madrid on the 21stand 22ndof June 2021.

Program

Monday, June 21st

9 a.m.-The seminar will be inauguratedby the Secretary of State for Global Spain, Mr.Manuel Muñiz Villa,by the President of CRUE –Conference of Chancellors of Spanish Universities -José Carlos Gómez Villamandos, by the Secretary General of the Higher Education and Scientific Research Ministry of Guinea, Mr. Binko Mamady Touré, andby the Cabinet Secretary of Sports, Culture and Heritage of Kenia, Ms. Amina C. Mohammed.

9.30 a.m.-1stConference:vision from Africa on “the mobility of African students in the world”, Vice-Chancellor of the Pan-Atlantic University Lagos, Prof. Juan Elegido

10 a.m. -1stPanel:

Existing legal and strategic frameworks relevant to the development of university and educational cooperation with Sub-Saharan Africa (Third Plan Africa,Vice-Chancellor Cooperation Plan, LOMLOE, immigration law and student visa requirements ...)

• Director of SEPIE, Mr. Alfonso Gentil
• Deputy Director General for Affairs of Foreign Nationals, Ms. Rosario Bernal Garcia
• Registrar of the Scholarships Secretariat of Ghana, Mr.Kingsley Agyeman
• Working Group for Internationalization, CRUE, Mr. Sebastián BruqueModerator: Director General for Africa, MAEC, Mr. Raimundo Robredo

11.30 a.m. –Coffee Break

12 p.m. -2ndConference: visiónfrom Spain: “new mobility and internationalization challenges for Spanish universities in Africa”.Secretary General for Universities, Mr. José Manuel Pingarrón.

12.30 p.m. -2ndPanel:

The promotion of the Spanish language in Sub-Saharan Africa. The role of the Instituto Cervantes. The role of AECID. Scholarships. Cultural cooperation. Online teaching. Spanish learning programs in universities.

• International RelationsDirector of the Instituto Cervantes,Mr. Rafael Soriano Ortiz
• Director of Cultural and Scientific Relations at AECID,Mr. Guzman Palacios
• Vice-Chancellor of the Online University of South Africa, UNISA, Prof. Puleng LenkaBula
• Vice-Chancellor of Internationalization of Granada, Ms. Dorothy Kelly
• Secretary General of the Higher Education and Scientific Research Ministry of Guinea, Mr. Binko Mamady Touré

Moderator: Deputy Director General for Multilateral and Horizontal Affairs, Mr. Diego Nuño García

2 p.m. –Lunch and Coffee Break

3.30 p.m -3rdPanel:

Academic and scientific cooperation. Existing resources and deployment of Spanish universities and research centers; status and potential of scientific cooperation with Africa (CSIC and the Association of Spanish Scientists in South Africa). SEPIE-Erasmus+.

• Vice-presidentof the CSIC, Ms. Ángeles Gómez Borrego
• Director of Fundación Mujeres por África, Ms. Teresa Langle
• Presidentof ACE-South Africa, RAICEX, Mr. Alvaro de la Cruz-Dombriz
• Director of the Higher Education Department at SEPIE, Mr. José Manuel González Canino
• Director of the Navarra Center for International Development, Mr. Luis Ravina Bohórquez

Moderator: Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sevilla/ Unit for Internationalization CRUE, Mr. Miguel Angel Castro

5 p.m–End of Day 1

Tuesday, June 22nd

10 a.m. -4thPanel:

Career opportunities-Links with the business worldand the private sector: role of private companies and public-private associations. Business Schools. Professional training. Young Generation as Change Agents program.

• ProjectSAAM Coordinator, Ms. Beatrice Bellet
• IEDirector for International Development in the Middle East and Africa, Ms. Sabine Yazbeck
• Director of the Internationalization Department at SEPIE, Mr. José Carlos Cicuéndez Gallego
• DirectorGeneral forRelations with Africaof the Canarias Government, Ms. Nasara Cabrera Abu
• Director for Legal and Institutional Affairs at GB Foods, Mr. Eduardo Mesegue

Moderator: José Segura Clavell, Director General of Casa África

11.30 a.m. –Coffee Break

12 p.m. -Dialogue: “Higher education and the empowerment of African women”,President of the Cameroon People’s Party, Ms. Kah Walla and the President ofthe FoundationMujeres por África, Ms. Maria Teresa Fernández de la Vega.

Moderator: Mr. Alberto Virella, Ambassador-at-Large for the Africa Plan

1 p.m. -Conclusions:

• Deputy Director General for Multilateral and Horizontal Affairs, Mr. Diego Nuño García
• Head of Cultural and Education Affairs, Mr. Juan Jaime Martínez
• Director of the Internationalization Department at SEPIE,Mr. José Carlos CicuéndezGallego

1.30 p.m. -Closure:

• Secretary of Stateof Foreign Affairs and for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ms. Cristina Gallach Figueres
• Director of Casa África, Mr. José Segura Clavell
• Director of SEPIE, Mr. Alfonso Gentil

2 p.m. –Lunch and Coffee. End of Day 2