The African Centre for Career Enhancement & Skills Support (ACCESS), an initiative led by Leipzig University, has been honoured as one of the top EU-AU Research and Innovation (R&I)
This accolade was presented during the SEADE R&I Summit held on December 4, 2024, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa.
ACCESS is a collaborative consortium comprising six African universities: Mount Kenya University (Kenya), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), University of Ibadan (Nigeria), INES-Ruhengeri (Rwanda), University of Tunis (Tunisia), and IRGIB Africa University (Benin), with Leipzig University serving as the lead institution. The project focuses on developing innovative approaches to address labor market challenges in Africa, aiming to enhance the employability of African students through its four pillars: University Business Linkage (UBL), Capacity Building, Research, and the African German Entrepreneurship Academy (AGEA).
The recognition at the SEADE R&I Summit underscores ACCESS’s significant role in fostering collaboration and facilitating the exchange of valuable insights between Europe and Africa. Out of numerous applications, 27 projects were initially considered to deepen digital cooperation between the continents, with 5 ultimately selected for the top annual award. ACCESS was distinguished for its impactful contributions to the EU-AU Research and Innovation Cooperation Ecosystem.
During the award presentation, Dr. Henry Yatich, ACCESS Coordinator at Mount Kenya University and the recipient of the award on behalf of ACCESS, expressed enthusiasm for the project’s renewal for an additional five years (2025-2029) by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). He emphasized ACCESS’s commitment to continuing its impact on Africa’s higher education landscape and labour markets, working closely with industry to drive meaningful training and inspire future synergistic EU-AU collaborations.
Professor Utz Dornberger, Lead Principal Investigator of ACCESS, remarked that this recognition demonstrates the project’s success in fulfilling its mandate and positions it for greater impact in the forthcoming ACCESS 2.0 phase. He highlighted that this achievement signifies to DAAD the effective utilization of funds and the surpassing of project outcomes.
Since its inception, ACCESS has made significant strides, benefiting an extended network of over 1,900 individuals, facilitating 152 activities and events, conducting 155 workshops, training 96 lecturers, and providing 536 scholarships. By collaborating with industry, universities, and students, ACCESS enhances opportunities for African students in both local and global labor markets through service-learning pedagogy.
For more information about ACCESS and its initiatives, please visit their official website: ACCESS
