EAC Scholarship Programme II

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Particularly talented and disadvantaged university students are to be supported through scholarships and extra-university specialist and networking events as part of their master's degree in MINT (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology) or economics at universities yet to be selected in the East African Community of States (EAC). In addition, scholarship holders are to get to know another country in the EAC as part of their studies; analogous to the European Erasmus program, this exchange is intended to create a greater level of international understanding and promote the idea of a regional identity. In addition, an integrated internship is to ensure practical training. A limited number of EAC employees are also to benefit directly from the project and take part in short-term part-time training courses. The topics of these courses are to be based primarily on the four pillars of the EAC's regional integration strategy. The recipient of the financial cooperation (FC) funds is the EAC Secretariat. The project sponsor is the regional university association IUCEA (Inter-University Council for East Africa), which is legally independent but institutionally assigned to the EAC Secretariat. The project aims to train future change agents who identify with the regional integration of the EAC, drive it forward and have economic and development-oriented expertise. At the same time, the agreements of the G7 summit on gender equality are taken into account by strengthening the economic participation of women in the EAC and counteracting gender-related role stereotypes. The project thus contributes both to the development goals of the EAC and to the long-term strategy of the international community, which aims to increase regional integration and increase the employability of female university graduates. The measure creates synergies with a TC project to establish a center of excellence for information and communication technology. The estimated costs of the project are initially based on the available funds of EUR 5 million. However, the introduction and establishment of a demanding regional scholarship program requires the use of additional funds; in the course of the project review, a higher program volume was therefore examined as a reserve audit (an additional EUR 10 million). During the government negotiations in October 2018, a further EUR 5 million was pledged, which will now also flow into the program. A further pledge of EUR 5 million is being sought in the next negotiations. The project is structured in such a way that additional funds can be absorbed without red tape. A total term of 6 years is planned for the project.