The European Commission has selected 159 projects for funding under Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Higher Education, which supports the modernisation and quality of higher education in third countries worldwide. These projects all respond to the overall aim to support the international cooperation of higher education, improve education systems and strengthen growth and prosperity on a global scale. 

Through the projects selected this year, 2,500 higher education stakeholders from almost 130 EU countries and across the world will work together to modernise and internationalise higher education. The overall 2023 budget of €115.3 million will for example advance the professionalisation of maths in Central Africa; university studies in equity and equality law for vulnerable groups in Latin America; curricula for a sustainable blue economy in the Southern Mediterranean; and courses for transformative change in health education in South-East Asia. Projects in other regions focus on entrepreneurship skills for Central Asian women, digital education readiness in the Western Balkans, developing universities' international relations offices in the Middle East, and food and nutrition resilience curricula in Western Africa.

Specifically in Georgia, there are 9 selected projects of which 6 are implemented by Georgian institutions. Within the Eastern Partnership, Georgia and Ukraine have the most projects. The 9 selected projects in Georgia will advance the field of engineering in the new digital age, empowering higher education institutions to strengthen capacities towards energy resilience and cross-regional cooperation. It will also lead to the development of soft skills adopting a holistic approach to teaching and learning, improving governance, peace, security and human development. Furthermore, a joint Master of Arts programme in political science will be developed. Overall these initiatives will safeguard the health and survival rights of vulnerable populations and advance science in the Eastern Partnership region.

This year, the EU has also earmarked €5 million of additional support for Ukraine to support a large-scale Erasmus+ project for universities to strengthen the digital environment for higher education in Ukraine. The four-year project called “DigiUni” will develop a high-performance digital platform for Ukraine's universities that will particularly benefit those students who had to flee the country or are internally displaced.

Grant agreements will be signed by November 2023, so that projects can kick off their activities before the end of the year.

Background

Created 36 years ago, Erasmus+ is one of the most emblematic EU programmes and nearly 13 million people have participated in the programme so far. It has an estimated total budget of €26.2 billion and places a strong focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young people's participation in democratic life for 2021-2027.

Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Higher Education is part of a broader set of actions to foster exchanges of students and staff and support cooperation in education between Europe and the rest of the world.

Partnerships develop new teaching content and techniques, train staff, and improve quality in university systems and administration. Projects are also able to pave the way for new policy approaches and reforms – these projects must involve national education authorities in their activities. They benefit not only the education sector itself: they also develop skills and practices in key areas for the economy and society, such as green manufacturing, energy management, food science, entrepreneurship and many more.

Erasmus+ has an overall budget of €613 million for Capacity Building for Higher Education over the 2021-2027 period. Four more annual selections will take place, with the next call for proposals to be launched in November 2023.