1,709 university scholarships from Romania to Africa

Dacian Cioloș, Romania’s candidate for Secretary General of La Francophonie, today announced the launch of a university cooperation programme between Romania and the African Union, under which Romanian universities will offer young Africans up to 1,709 scholarships starting from the 2027-2028 academic year.

The programme is the result of cooperation between the National Council of Rectors of Romania (CNR) and the African Union Commission, initiated following talks between Dacian Cioloș and African Union representatives in the first half of this year. The new initiative complements the scholarship programmes already funded by the Romanian state for African students and represents an additional contribution by Romanian universities to the development of cooperation with African states.

Announcement ahead of the Francophonie Summit

Dacian Cioloș made the announcement at a press conference in Paris, before departing for the Francophonie Summit to be held in Phnom Penh on 15-16 November.

“I am convinced that the future of La Francophonie is built through the concrete opportunities we offer young people. Since the beginning of my candidacy, I have argued that education and vocational training must be brought closer to the needs of economies and the labour market. I am pleased that the dialogue I opened with the African Union has contributed to the development of this partnership between Romanian universities and Africa. It is an example of how I envisage the future development of La Francophonie: moving from political dialogue to concrete cooperation on the ground, among the actors concerned, in order to create opportunities for young people. I thank the National Council of Rectors of Romania and the universities that have mobilised around this project. Romania has a long tradition of welcoming and training African students, and this programme will allow us to strengthen our contribution to Africa’s development,” said Dacian Cioloș.

Scholarships in science, technology and medicine

Scholarships in science, technology, agriculture, medicine and other fields of common interest

The Romania–African Union Academic Mobility Programme will offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral study opportunities at 26 Romanian universities. The cooperation aims to develop skills in fields essential to the future of the African continent, such as science and technology, agriculture, medicine, climate change, and the green and digital transitions. The scholarships will be financed from the participating universities’ own resources.

Joint selection by AU and Romanian universities

Candidates will be selected jointly by the African Union Commission, which will carry out the pre-selection, and by the Romanian universities, which will make the final selection. The programme aims to ensure balanced geographical representation of African Union member states and equal opportunities for women and men.

The programme falls within the objectives of the national strategy “Romania–Africa: A Partnership for the Future through Peace, Development and Education” and contributes to strengthening academic, scientific and human ties between Romania and African states.

Additional scholarships for other Francophone regions

In parallel, the National Council of Rectors of Romania will offer 100 additional scholarships to Francophone states in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and Oceania, with the participation of the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest and the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest.

The Romania–African Union Academic Mobility Programme will be implemented on the basis of a memorandum of understanding between the National Council of Rectors of Romania and the African Union Commission, for an initial period of five years with the possibility of extension.