BUJUMBURA March 21st (ABP) – The Light University of Bujumbura, in partnership with the European Union, organized on March 20, 2024, an Erasmus+ information session in Burundi.
The director of the office of scholarships and internships at the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Alexandre Mfisumukiza indicated that the specific objectives of that conference were to mobilize higher education institutions (IES), students, teacher-researchers and professionals from Burundi, to seize scholarship opportunities abroad, especially in European countries. It was also an opportunity to share experiences of collaborative projects involving higher education establishments, he said.
According to him, the European Union and its member states are committed to supporting the development of Burundi by integrating the education and skills development sector among the priorities of their strategies. They also offer international mobility programs for training and research open to developing countries.
He indicated that that mobility and scholarship program will offer university teaching assistants the opportunity to continue their doctoral training, strengthening their experience, their technical expertise and contributing to the enrichment of the education system.
As proclaimed in the slogan of the President of the Republic: “Turikumwe Twese Birashoboka: Together, we are capable”, Mr. Mfisumukiza indicated that that program will contribute to the promotion of quality education, accessible to all and in the construction of a better future for the nation.
In turn, the Ambassador of the European Union to Burundi, Mrs. Elisabetta Pietrobon indicated that Erasmus+ is the European Union program which aims to support mobility, cooperation and the exchange of knowledge in the field of education, vocational training, youth and sport. She added that that program is not just about sending and receiving students. It is also an important part of educational exchange, she stressed, contributing to the development of study or university management programs and the strengthening of links between 33 European countries and Burundi.
The ambassador of the European Union to Burundi also informed that Erasmus+ also aims to help the digitalization of diploma training and research in African countries, in order to achieve the regional and global objectives of development.
Ambassador Elisabetta also recommended that students, teacher-researchers and anyone who wants capacity building not hesitate to register online.
During the discussions, the participants asked for more sessions to strengthen language skills, especially in English, explaining that that language presents itself as a barrier when taking tests.