The interest in traditional agriculture is a worldwide trend: as people reclaim their heritage, they increasingly turn to lessons learned by their ancestors about how to sustainability interact with their environment. The network "Dryland agriculture and Land use; past, present and future resilience [AGRI-DRY]" aims to develop an interdisciplinary approach to traditional crop cultivation through the recognition of the complementary value of cultural heritage and sustainable living. Human cultural development is inextricably linked with the development of agriculture. This bond resulted in the "domestication" of the biological and physical environments around us, and historically shaped and engendered present-day landscapes. Agricultural landscapes are a testimony to humanity's long interaction with the land, often-unique examples of the whole people-nature system. They demonstrate a rich cultural and landscape diversity, sustainable land-use systems and, in some cases, people's daily struggle for survival under extreme climatic and environmental conditions. It is now recognized the key role of traditional knowledge of indigenous people and local communities for ecosystem management and sustainable use of resources in the light of climate change. AGRI-DRY aims to bring about a significant reorientation of European and African doctoral training in traditional agriculture. The change will involve both substance and approach. The substance is the strong focus on rigorous techniques for interdisciplinary research. The approach is the emphasis on both research and applicative work, through the participation of both academic and advocacy and policy-making institutions. AGRI-DRY represents a unique opportunity for European young researchers to form a "critical mass" and enjoy a wide array of training opportunities that will be competitive with the best programmes offered outside Europe.

With the advent of Industry 4.0 has come challenges and opportunities in the manufacturing sector as well as manufacturing education. Smart Manufacturing Engineering Education for Knowledge Economy (SME2KE) develops postgraduate manufacturing curricula (with emphasis on laser-based manufacturing (LbM) technologies) and pedagogical approaches to strengthen future manufacturing engineers’ competences for transforming their national economies to knowledge-based society as they improve profitability of businesses. SME2KE aims at (i) training the knowledge, competencies and performance of students and academic instructors, (ii) updating the existing master’s curriculum by incorporating taught modules including elements of LbM applications, big data science (BDS), machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) towards empowering graduates with skills to fabricate products sustainably without defects and wastes; (iii) developing a unique African e-platform to support education and training related to LbM technology at Masters level. SME2KE enables partner HEIs to demonstrate relevance in developing responsive activities which promote socio-economic recovery, growth, and prosperity by developing innovative curricula which are linked to manufacturing business activities. It contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Green Deal, digital transformation and data technologies, alliances for sustainable growth and jobs by supporting a successful green and sustainable global economic recovery in the partner countries. SME2KE reforms postgraduate manufacturing education by imparting graduates with problem-solving and entrepreneurial skills via problem-based learning (PBL) methods, students-centred teaching, and and real-life manufacturing challenges. SME2KE establishes sustainable manufacturing education pedagogies in the local context via collaboration among the LbM research establishment, manufacturing industries, and academic institutions.

One of the greatest challenges faced by higher education institutions is the effective and strategic management of their research portfolios to ensure sustainability and growth in an increasingly complex, competitive and changing global environment. Funding programmes are increasingly competitive, with a greater focus on excellence, the need to do more in partnerships with other institutions and companies, and the need to demonstrate research impact, efficiency, and innovation throughout. Skilled research managers are key players in institutional efforts to sustain and grow research and are critical enablers in helping research projects achieve maximum deliverables and impact.To address this challenge we have developed a professionalisation route for research managers and administrators (RMAs) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region through this project. This has been achieved through a number of outputs, including the development and implementation of a new Post-Graduate Diploma (PG Dip) qualification for RMAs, and the establishment and implementation of a professional peer-recognition mechanism for RMA professionals that is aligned with current international best practices. The project also developed an Executive Masters in RMA business plan and curriculum outline for a future post-graduate qualification at Masters level, based on the needs evaluated in the partner countries in Southern Africa in particular. The project also focused on research- and research management-related exchanges of information and good practice, and the development of staff capacity in the various institutions and regions. This was done via two focused staff exchange programmes. One set of staff exchanges for capacity development and exchange of good practice was undertaken among the consortium partner institutions' staff members. A second set of regional staff exchanges was enabled via the professional associations for RMAs in the two regions - the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA), which is a project partner, and the European Association for Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA), which is a project associate. This interaction was also aimed at advancing improved and ongoing research cooperation between the EU and Southern African regions in the future. The project partners furthermore undertook a number of collaborative comparative studies aimed at promoting leadership, capacity development, and mutual understanding of the differing Higher education (HE) contexts. Topics of these studies include a benchmarking of research management structures between the partner institutions; a comparison of research publication trends and incentives among the partner institutions; a comparison of internationalisation policies among partner institutions; and a study of the lessons learned through the staff exchange programme as well as a set of guidelines for the management of such programmes. The project outcomes will contribute to the development of RMA as a profession and the implementation of good RMA practice and capacities in the partner institutions, in particular those in the lesser-developed partner countries and the Baltic region of the EU. This will promote improved institutional research capacity, and hence research outputs and outcomes. Through improved mutual understanding and cooperation between the EU and Southern African regions, it will promote and facilitate the HEI's ability to lead, participate in and obtain funding for high quality and original scholarship, knowledge generation and impact. The outputs from this project can in future be adopted for the broader Sub-Saharan African (SSA) region, and hence lead to a wider implementation of good RMA practices leading to enhanced research outcomes produced by HEIs in this region.

Focus on Africa Space Science and Technology 4 Future development (FAST4Future) aims at strengthening Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Africa Higher education by promoting Planetary and Space Science and Technology (PSST) for the sustainable growth and jobs creation in a continent that is rapidly embracing the 4th industrial revolution. PSST has been identified as key area of investment in Africa as it provides graduates and young scientists with both the necessary soft and practical skills to face 21st century challenges such as digital innovation and job creation. The aims of FAST4Future are: i) To increase the accessibility to STEM in African Higher Education (HE); ii) To modernize existing PSST programmes in collaboration with industry and policy makers; iii) To foster the internationalization of partner HEIs by promoting mobility of staff; iv) to promote standardization of PSST in Africa in support of students’ mobility. To achieve these ambitious goals FAST4future will promote the creation of a Centre of Excellence in PSST (CESST) linked to a virtual platform to increase the accessibility coordinate collaborative actions including: i) analysis of the conditions of women in STEM; ii) review existing PSST programs in order to fill the mismatches between academic offer and job market requirements; iii) draft a white paper for the credit recognition of PSST courses across African institutions; iv) train administrative staff and facilitate the mobility of academic staff; v) promote the transfer of skills in key strategic areas of PSST to boost the employability of graduate students. The creation of a virtual platform within CESST will open new pathways for dissemination of high quality academic contents that can potentially reach thousands of STEM students across the continent and facilitate the access to STEM disciplines for Africans living in remote areas, conflict zones and will, eventually, improve the number of women in STEM.