Project Overview
Reason:
To implement five Mining/Geology degrees with a focus on Local Economic Development. The target institutions are: Universidade de Cabo Verde (CV), Universidade de Sandiago (CV), Universidade Agostinho Neto (AO), Instituto Superior Politécnico Tundavala (AO), Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (MZ) and Instituto Superior de Ciências e Tecnologia de Moçambique (MZ). The EU Partners are the Universities of Coimbra, Salamanca and Turin and a Research Centre (CES, PT). Scientific objectives: (i) Increase the understanding of the geoscientific factors affecting the global environment in order to improve human living conditions; (ii) Develop more effective methods to find and sustainably exploit natural resources of minerals, energy and groundwater (ii) Increase the understanding of geological processes and concepts of global importance, including an emphasis on socially relevant issues, (iii) Improve standards, methods and techniques of carrying out geological research. It follows the recommendations from the AU Agenda 2063 and the UN-SDGoals: (1), (4), (5), (6), (7) and (17).
Outputs:
Three BSc courses (Geology, Geological Engineering and Mining Engineering), one MSc (Geology) and one PhD (Geology) involving the training of at least 40 teachers and 250 students in two years of ongoing courses. Bibliographic materials will be prepared and a several online courses supplied. The courses will be aligned with the Bologna recommendations.
Impact:
To address the huge gap in terms of the requisite infrastructure and critical human resources at all levels to fully realize the potential benefits that would accrue from the sustainable use of mineral resources and to assure local benefits by tackling the root causes of poverty, levering inclusive growth and development and seeking to secure sustainable financing. To facilitate communication and exchange among scientists by bringing together complementary interests so as to improve standards, methods and techniques for carrying out geoscience research, including the transfer of fundamental and applied knowledge between collaborating partners. The partnership brings a new attitude regarding the exploitation of natural resources in Africa.