Erasmus+: EU boosts participation of African students and staff in 2019

European Commission - Press release Erasmus+: EU boosts participation of African students and staff in 2019 Brussels, 12 September 2019 The EU has invested an additional €17.6 million to support over 8,500 newly selected African students and staff to participate in Erasmus+ in 2019. This increase in Erasmus+ funding is one more step towards the commitment announced by President Jean-Claude Juncker in his State of the Union speech in September 2018 to have supported 35,000 African students and researchers by 2020. Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, said: "Empowering young people in Africa is key in building a better future. This means promoting education, and this year, we have focused in particular on boosting cooperation with businesses to ensure that young people in Africa acquire all the skills they need for their professional life. Projects supporting innovative learning methods, entrepreneurship and opening up chances to find jobs in key areas such as food, agribusiness and energy transformation are key features of this year's selection. This is the plus that Erasmus+ offers.” Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, said: “Our Africa- Europe Alliance is first and foremost about people. We want to invest in quality education in Africa. We want to strengthen the connections between European and African students and higher education institutions. Giving them the chance to exchange know-how and...