Scholarships for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral studies offered by 26 Romanian universities, starting in the 2027–2028 academic year
Dacian Cioloș, Romania’s candidate for the position of Secretary General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), today announced the launch of a university cooperation programme between Romania and the African Union, under which Romanian universities will make up to 1,709 scholarships available to young Africans, starting in the 2027–2028 academic year. The scholarships for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral studies will be offered by 26 Romanian universities.
The programme is the result of cooperation between Romania’s National Council of Rectors (NCR) and the African Union Commission, initiated following discussions between Cioloș and African Union representatives during the first half of this year. This 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 countries.
Cioloș made the announcement at a press conference in Paris, ahead of his departure for the Francophonie Summit, which will take place in Phnom Penh on 15 and 16 November.
“I am convinced that the future of the Francophonie is built on the concrete opportunities we offer young people. Since the beginning of my candidacy, I have advocated the need to bring education and vocational training closer to the needs of economies and the labour market. I am pleased that the dialogue I initiated with the African Union has contributed to the development of this partnership between Romanian universities and Africa.
This is an example of how I envision the future development of the Francophonie: moving from political dialogue to concrete, on-the-ground cooperation between relevant stakeholders in order to create opportunities for young people.
I would like to thank Romania’s National Council of Rectors and the universities that have joined forces behind this project. Romania has a long tradition of welcoming and educating African students, and this programme will enable us to strengthen our contribution to Africa’s development,” Cioloș stated.
Scholarships in science, technology, agriculture, medicine and other areas of mutual interest
The Romania–African Union Academic Mobility Programme will offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral study opportunities at 26 Romanian universities. The aim of this cooperation is to develop skills in areas that are 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.
The selection of candidates will be organised jointly by the African Union Commission, which will conduct the pre-selection process, and the Romanian universities, which will make the final selection. The programme aims to ensure balanced geographical representation among the African Union’s member states, as well as equal opportunities for women and men.
The programme is part of the objectives of Romania’s national strategy, “Romania–Africa: A Partnership for the Future through Peace, Development and Education,” and contributes to strengthening academic, scientific and people-to-people relations between Romania and African countries.
In parallel, Romania’s National Council of Rectors will provide an additional 100 scholarships for French-speaking countries 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 Romania’s National Council of Rectors and the African Union Commission. The agreement is expected to have an initial duration of five years, with the possibility of extension.
