Strengthening partnerships, discovering local realities, and building the future of higher education in Burundi together

As part of the BRIGHTER project, international delegation representing European partners of the project visited Burundi for the first time with the aim to learning, exchange, and strengthening cooperation with several institutions and innovative initiatives in the country:

🇸🇰 Peter Klimacek, Mgr., Peter Janiga, Prof. Dr., and Miroslava Farkas Smitkova, Prof. Dr., from the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STUBA);

🇵🇹 José Carlos Quadrado, Prof. Dr., Coordinator of the BRIGHTER project, together with Antonio Belo, Rector of the Polytechnic University of Lisbon;

🇵🇹 João Rocha, Prof. Dr., representing the ENTER Network.

The delegation carried out a series of visits to several partner institutions, including the Institute of Applied Pedagogy (IPA), IUNICA, the École Normale Supérieure (ENS), and the University of Burundi, Kamenge Campus, with particular attention given to the Institute of Digital Technologies (ITN).

These visits provided an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the realities, needs, and perspectives of each institution, while fostering valuable exchanges regarding available resources, ongoing and future projects, as well as opportunities for collaboration and mutual contribution.

The delegation also visited the spaces designated to host the future laboratories of the BRIGHTER project, as well as existing laboratories, in order to assess opportunities for developing and establishing infrastructure suited to the ambitions of the project.

Beyond the university environment, the mission also brought the delegation to NYAKIRIZA, an initiative focused on solar energy that shares several areas of interest with the BRIGHTER project. This meeting opened a valuable space for discussion on coordinated approaches, potential cooperation, and partnerships based on complementary expertise and resources.

The visit also continued to the Charging Station, providing an opportunity to learn more about innovative local initiatives and explore new avenues for cooperation.

✨ These meetings and visits perfectly reflect the spirit of the BRIGHTER project: connecting institutions, sharing experiences, strengthening capacities, and jointly developing innovative solutions for higher education that is more effective, inclusive, and future-oriented.

🤝 Together, we are strengthening today’s partnerships to build tomorrow’s opportunities.