By Enoch Sithole
The Erasmus+ Networking Forum seeks to correct the impression that the uptake of the available funding was lacking. This follows an article in University World News on 10 October 2024, which reported on a meeting held by the fund in Nairobi on 12-13 September.
Titled ‘Millions of euros in Erasmus+ funds meant for Africa not used’, the article said, in part: “The African academic community is dragging its feet in applying for scholarships and research funding opportunities provided by the Erasmus+ project, despite the programme allocating millions of euros to the continent under various categories.”
Reacting to the article, the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), which is the National Agency for the Erasmus+ Higher Education Cooperation in Germany, clarified that the demand for funds “outstrips” the availability funding.
“Given the high level of interest in the region, it was expected that the budget earmarked for Sub-Saharan Africa would be fully utilised,” said a statement released by Beate Körner, the head of section at Erasmus+ Key Action 2: Partnerships and Cooperation Projects at the Erasmus+ National Agency Higher Education, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Speakers at the event emphasised the “importance of a thorough application process for the available funding, signalling the competitiveness of the process.”
Beate Körner added: “For the 2021-27 programme period, the EU’s Erasmus+ programme has allocated a budget of €570 million (about US$618.6 million) to Sub-Saharan Africa. As the programme reaches its midpoint, the demand for Erasmus+ funding for cooperation between Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe in higher education and vocational education and training has been exceptionally high.”
“Three more annual Erasmus+ calls for funding applications would be published at the end of November 2024”, Körner said, urging potential applicants to peruse the public Erasmus+ project database to access relevant information.
This article, Uptake of the Erasmus+ funding not lacking, was originally published on December 2 2024 by the Ajen Newsletter