Strengthening Africa–Europe Research Cooperation through MSCA: Regional flagship held in Nairobi

The MSCA-GLOPOL Regional Flagship in the African Union was successfully held on 20 May 2026 at the University of Nairobi, bringing together African institutions interested in exploring the research and innovation international collaboration opportunities offered by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Programme.

Almost 400 stakeholders of the research and innovation community joined — online and onsite — in this side event of the Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Society (STRI) Week, celebrating the EU-Kenya 50 years Relations. Organised in close cooperation with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) and the University of Nairobi, the hybrid event attracted strong interest.

The half-day event aimed to raise awareness of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) — which commemorates its 30th Anniversary this year — with particular emphasis on Doctoral Networks and Staff Exchanges. The programme combined policy insights from the European Commission with a general overview of the MSCA Programme, along with success stories from the University of Nairobi (Kenya) and Stellenbosch University (South Africa), sharing experience in consortia building and implementation of funded projects.

Testimonials from Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) members, engaged in several MSCA actions throughout their careers, further enriched the discussions and showcased the tangible benefits brought by the programme. Other relevant initiatives in African Union(AU) – European Union(EU) bi-regional cooperation, such as the EDCTP (The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership), were also featured on the agenda, with the goal of exploring synergies and enlarging collective impact.

The event served as an interactive forum, enabling participants to deepen their knowledge of international MSCA opportunities and engage directly with experienced practitioners and policymakers.

The Agenda of the event is available here.

The presentations delivered during the event are available below:

• Thierry Devars, MSCA UNIT, European Commission. An overview of MSCA: key objectives and cooperation opportunities. Find the presentation here.

• Cristina Gómez, MSCA-GLOPOL Management Team. Explanation of MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 and partner search tools. Find the presentation here.

• Lizel Senekal, Manager: Multi-National Grants, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Support system and best practice participation in MSCA. Find the presentation here.

• Professor Onyango-Ouma, Director of the Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies (IAGAS), University of Nairobi, Kenya. Successful participation in the HEALENAE Doctoral Network Project. Find the presentation here.

• Professor Marleen Temmerman, Aga Khan University (AKU), member of the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). The BRIDGE Network. Find the presentation here.

• Cristina Gómez, MSCA-GLOPOL Management Team. Explanation of MSCA Staff Exchanges Call. Find the presentation here.

• Dr. Muhammad Aminu Idris, MCAA member, distinguished scientist at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Nigeria.  The ARISE MSCA SE experience. Find the presentation here.

• Dr. Thomas Dzeha, MCAA member, Co-Founder and CEO of the D. John Faulkner Centre for Marine Biodiscovery and Biomedicine in Kenya. Find the presentation here.