European and East African partnership strengthens social innovation and entrepreneurship in postgraduate education
From 21 to 23 May 2025, the international meeting of the Erasmus+ project ADVANCE took place in Benevento (Italy) with the participation of 10 partners from Europe and East Africa. The University of Sannio (Italy) welcomed academics, researchers, business and social innovation experts from Italy, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Tanzania and Uganda. Lithuania was represented by Mrs. Rima Bačiulytė, Head of the Project Department and Doc. Dr Regina Venckienė, Head of the Study Quality Department of Vilniaus kolegija/Higher Education Institution. They are actively involved in the project and will contribute to the improvement of study quality and the development of a methodological basis.
The first day of the meeting started with sessions on project management, monitoring and reporting. Lira University and MKWAWA University presented the results of surveys conducted in Uganda and Tanzania to develop a Competency profile for social entrepreneurs. The day was capped with a social dinner that encouraged informal communication and cultural exchange. The following days were dedicated to training sessions on experiential and service-based learning methods in the development of study programmes, quality assurance issues in study programmes, creative workshops on design thinking and the use of artificial intelligence in business creation, and common challenges for Europe and East Africa.
The ADVANCE project meeting in Benevento fostered further close cooperation between the partners and laid a solid foundation for the development of innovative, competency-based postgraduate programmes for future leaders in East Africa and Europe.
