Since January 2020, the Mohammed IV Polytechnic University and the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland) are joining forces for an ambitious initiative in Africa based on three axes:

1) Junior Faculty Development

The development of the Junior Faculty is a key element of the program. Talented young African professors collaborate with EPFL to develop joint research projects.

2) 100 Ph.D.s for Africa

100 Ph.D. students benefit from thesis funding and close collaboration between the African University in which they are registered and an EPFL laboratory.

3) Centers of Competence in Digital Education

Nowadays, digital education is an essential means of transmitting knowledge. This third axis provides STEM students enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs throughout Africa with quality educational materials and tools. To this end, several Digital Education Competence Centers will be created. 

For more than six years, the EPFL has been running a successful MOOC4DEV program in Africa. This program has led the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco to approach the EPFL and join forces in designing and launching a program to meet these challenges.

Funding

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University finances this project.

As part of Excellence In Africa and in collaboration with UM6P and other African universities, EPFL has created a platform to support the urban development of the African continent: African Cities Lab.