BRIGHTER 1st Year Management Board Meeting and Official iPER Recognition Ceremony
From 2 to 4 September 2026, the BRIGHTER Project held its 1st Year Management Board Meeting in Burundi, bringing together project partners, higher education leaders, public authorities, representatives of the European Union, industry stakeholders and members of the academic community.
The three-day programme combined institutional and stakeholder visits, the official iPER Recognition Ceremony, a comprehensive review of the first year of project implementation, and the definition of priorities and actions for Year 2.
Strengthening institutional and stakeholder cooperation
The first day of the meeting, on 2 September, was dedicated to institutional visits and stakeholder engagement in Bujumbura.
BRIGHTER representatives visited partner higher education institutions and met with university leadership, academic teams and relevant institutional units. Parallel meetings with industrial stakeholders focused on employability, green-transition skills, university–industry cooperation and opportunities for greater stakeholder involvement in project activities.
High-level meetings also provided an opportunity to discuss the alignment of BRIGHTER with national education and energy priorities, the relevance of the project for Burundi and its long-term sustainability.
These exchanges helped the consortium gain a deeper understanding of the realities, needs and perspectives of each institution, while identifying opportunities for collaboration, capacity development and the future establishment of infrastructures supporting the objectives of BRIGHTER.
Official iPER Recognition Ceremony
A major highlight of the programme took place on 3 September 2026 at UB/IPA in Bujumbura, with the official ceremony for the presentation of iPER – International Professional Education Register distinctions to academic staff from higher education institutions across Burundi.
Approximately 300 participants were expected for the public ceremony, including iPER awardees, invited guests, Guests of Honour, university representatives and BRIGHTER project members. The ceremony combined official institutional addresses with elements of Burundian cultural heritage, including traditional performances.
The event brought together distinguished representatives and key stakeholders from the fields of education, research, industry and development, including Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research, representatives of the European partner institutions, the Rector of the University of Burundi, the President of the Polytechnic University of Lisbon, the President of the Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burundi, as well as rectors and representatives of the different BRIGHTER project partner institutions.
During the ceremony, Prof. José Carlos Quadrado, BRIGHTER Project Coordinator, presented the iPER initiative on behalf of ENTER, highlighting its significance for individual educators, universities, the development of higher education in Burundi and the strengthening of future capacity in areas such as renewable energy.
Representatives of participating universities were invited to receive the distinctions in the presence of national authorities and project representatives, followed by the recognition of all participating educators and an official group photo.
The different interventions converged around a common message: BRIGHTER represents an important opportunity to strengthen the knowledge, skills and institutional capacities required for Burundi’s future development, particularly in the field of renewable energy and the green transition.
Through the professional development and international recognition of higher education teaching staff, the project strengthens universities' capacity to educate future generations of graduates equipped with the competencies needed to support innovation, sustainable development and economic transformation.
Training educators today means developing the skills needed tomorrow to successfully address the challenges of the energy transition.
The presentation of the iPER distinctions therefore represents both international recognition of educators’ commitment and professionalism and a concrete expression of BRIGHTER’s commitment to promoting high-quality, competence-oriented higher education aligned with innovation and the future needs of society and the labour market.
Reviewing the first year and preparing Year 2
Following the public ceremony, the BRIGHTER partners began the formal 1st Year Management Board working sessions.
The consortium jointly reviewed the achievements, constraints and lessons learned during the first year of implementation and examined progress across the project’s main areas of activity.
Discussions addressed:
Project management, coordination, reporting and administrative follow-up;
financial management, documentation, eligibility of costs and reporting timelines;
Green Digital Innovation and Transformation;
Capacity Building and Employability;
Project Quality, Monitoring and Sustainability; and
Communication and Visibility Actions.
These sessions provided an opportunity not only to assess progress but also to identify risks, address implementation challenges, strengthen quality assurance mechanisms and agree on priorities for the next phase of the project.
From assessment to action: defining priorities for Year 2
The final Management Board session took place on 4 September in Gitega, following an institutional visit to UPG, one of the BRIGHTER partner universities.
The discussions focused on translating the lessons of the first year into a clear implementation framework for Year 2. The Management Board reviewed and confirmed key priorities, partner responsibilities and the implementation calendar, together with project risks, quality-assurance follow-up and the evidence-collection plan.
The meeting concluded with the formal adoption of the Year 2 Action Plan and confirmation of reporting deadlines, providing the consortium with a shared roadmap for the next stage of implementation.
The programme was complemented by visits and opportunities to experience Burundi’s cultural heritage, further strengthening personal and institutional relationships among consortium members.
The 1st Year Management Board Meeting demonstrated the value of combining strategic project coordination, institutional capacity building, engagement with public authorities and industry, international professional recognition and direct knowledge of the local context.
It also reaffirmed BRIGHTER’s broader ambition: to connect higher education, innovation and the green transition in order to build sustainable capacity within Burundi and prepare institutions, educators and future graduates for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
BRIGHTER – Building Renewable Innovation, Green Technologies, Higher Education and Research.