"The project ""Strengthening expertise and bioinformatics to control antimicrobial resistance in West Africa"" (SEBA) will improve the quality of higher education in Benin and Burkina Faso, enabling them tackle the challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR genes allow bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics used to treat human and animal infections. In West Africa, as in other resource-poor settings, control of the occurrence and transmission of AMR is challenging due socioeconomic constraints, lack of expertise, and inadequate facilities to educate the experts. Through SEBA, we will strengthen the human and technical capacities of partner universities, enabling them to provide high-quality education and to train future experts in AMR management. We will design and implement a new Advanced Training Programme in AMR, providing 18 months’ training at MSc level. The training will include e-learning, partner country contact teaching, independent learning, and placement in a stakeholder institution. The crosscutting principles for the programme are: application of active learning techniques based on the modern learning theories; and application of the One Health approach, whereby human, animal and environmental health are treated as one entity, influenced by socioeconomic structures. Training in molecular biology techniques and bioinformatics will equip graduates with the skills to contribute fully in global AMR activities. Furthermore, they will develop their ability to interact with communities and stakeholders, including potential employers. The broad and deep hands-on training SEBA provides will enable students to become world-class experts in AMR management and control, able to positively impact West-Africa and globally. The universities will improve their competence in developing educational programmes, and will increase societal impact. Training will be subject to quality control and accreditation procedures to meet European higher education standards."

The project aims to enhance the professional profile of African VET teachers and trainers in the field of agriculture and rural development by offering online, face to face and work based learning opportunities. In order to do so, SEED4AFRICA will support the establishment of an international network of VET – Vocational Education and Training – providers in three different countries (Italy, Belgium and Spain) and four Sub-Saharan countries (Nigeria, Benin, Kenya and South Africa) with the potential to furtherly extend within the EU, as well as in the whole southern African region. Project activities will promote the enhancement of VET quality and attractiveness, with a specific focus on smart, digital and sustainable farming, in particular by:- adapting and transferring the results of three good practices financed by the Erasmus+ programme for the design of innovative training approaches and materials in agricultural education, namely: SEED - Smart Entrepreneurial Education and training in Digital farming; PONICS VET - Hydroponics Agricultural Technician; LiveAdapt - Solutions for the adaptation of Extensive Livestock to Climate Change.- enhancing communication and cooperation among VET providers, at local and international level, exchanging good practices, initiatives and tools, also with the organization of job shadowing and technical visits for African VET teachers and technical staff in the schools of the ENNE National Networks represented in the project;- innovating the provision of VET programmes encouraging the collaboration between educational institutions, public authorities and private companies, especially through the conduction of contest based initiatives, such as hackathons and innovation bootcamps, where mixed teams of VET students and Agriculture stakeholders will co-design digital and entrepreneurial solutions for societal challenges linked to the Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda 2030.

In most African countries, there is need for revitalizing HEIs to deliver agricultural science curricula that will produce graduates with requisite skills for employment, job creation and agricultural development. AgriENGAGE aims at strengthening HEIs to provide excellent training programmes in agricultural sciences responsive to evolving labour market demands of stimulating agricultural transformation and enhanced agricultural sector competitiveness. The specific objectives of the project are: availability of updated agripreneurial and Community Engagement Training programmes at HEIs; enhanced teaching compentences in business development services and community engagement in HEIs’ academic staff; students skilled in demand driven agripreneurship, agribusiness development services and community engagement and enhanced collaboration between HEIs and industry. The project is envisioned to upscale the hands on approach to agricultural science teaching by skilling staff and students through reviewing existing curricula and developing modules in agripreneurship and community engagement, training staff and students in community engagement and agribusiness development services and working with farmers and industry. Moreover the project will conduct agribusiness clinics, farm attachment, entrepreneurship and community engagement challenges to build the skills of students in entreprenurship and community engagement. This will enhance academic staff pedagogical skills to deliver curricula for agripreneurship and Community engagement, strengthen students’ skills in agripreneurship, business development services and community engagement as well as enhance collaboration between HEIs institutions, farming community and industry. The target groups in AgriENGAGE are students, academic staff and the higher education institutions. Indirect target groups like farmers and employers will benefit through ability of graduates to work with farmers and industry to transform smallholder en