Euro-African Trade and Investment Relations and the Polycrisis
We are thrilled to announce that more than 90 students from both Europe and Africa have already enrolled in the Euro-African Trade and Investment Relations and the Polycrisis Blended Intensive Programme (BIP)!
This achievement highlights the strong interest in exploring critical issues at the intersection of trade, investment, and the polycrisis.
Designed by PLUS University and Makerere University, this programme offers a unique opportunity for students across the two contintents to exchange and gain hands-on experience in negotiating agreements aimed at tackling the polycrisis, drawing on theoretical knowledge of EU-African Trade and Investment Agreements.
About the BIP
This Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) includes a physical mobility and a virtual part, providing an immersive and flexible experienceIt is open to students currently studying at Bachelor's, Master's and PhD level, interested on the topic of polycrisis.
Course dates: 6 March - 27 June 2025
CIVIS Focus Area: Cities, territories and mobilities
Amid the complex challenges of our time, Lara Leik’s reflection from the PolyCIVIS Public Session during CIVIS Days 2024 offers a hopeful perspective. Don’t miss her insightful take on how we can turn today’s obstacles into tomorrow’s opportunities for change.
PolyCIVIS’s participation in CIVIS Days 2024 brought valuable opportunities for an insightful dialogue between European and African experts. Through our public event, we explored approaches to addressing global crises. Below are key insights and takeaways from our engagement during the event.
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"Facing Polycrisis in Europe and Africa"
A crucial hybrid panel discussion on the pressing topic of polycrisis took place during CIVIS Days 2024 in Salzburg.
This event is linked to the PolyCIVIS network, a collaboration between the CIVIS Alliance members and 4 additional African universities.
Watch the recorded roundtable discussion
PolyCIVIS’s 21 universities collaborated in this event bringing together experts from a range of disciplines to reflect together on future strategies, joint actions and consequences of polycrisis.
Speakers:
Prof. Ahmadou Aly Mbaye, Faculty of Economics and Public Policies, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar
Prof. Mucha Musemwa, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand
Prof. Edward Bbaale, Principal & Professor of Economics, Makerere University
Prof. Gudrun Zagel, Faculty of Law, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg
Prof. Anne Weyembergh, PolyCIVIS Project Director, Université libre de Bruxelles (moderator)
Themes:
Defining and understanding polycrisis
Exploring polycrisis’ interconnected global risks and cascading effects
Social impacts and inequalities
Changing the narrative: solutions and resilience
The event was attended by:
This timely event was succesfully attended by researchers, academics, students, policymakers, and other key stakeholders interested in polycrisis, from Africa, Europe and beyond.
Understanding crises through a PolyCIVIS lens: bridging continents and modeling joint teaching programmes across Africa and Europe
On September 25th, a group of academics and students gathered during CIVIS Days for an insightful discussion led by Makerere University (Uganda) and Paris Lodron University Salzburg (Austria). The focus? How to create innovative teaching programs to address the growing challenges of interconnected global crises like climate change, economic instability, and social inequality.
Drawing on the Euro-African Trade and Investment Relations and the Polycrisis Blended Intensive Program (BIP) which is scheduled to last between 6 March - 27 June 2025, the session explored ways to expand this interdisciplinary approach to teaching. Participants discussed how universities can leverage existing courses, integrate research-driven teaching, and strengthen the link between academia and the research, policy, and civic communities to build comprehensive programs that empower students to actively engage in better understanding global crises.
What made the session stand out was the direct involvement of CIVIS Global Student Council students, whose feedback and experience on previous BIPs shaped much of the discussion. Their insights, paired with contributions from the rest of the participants, pointed to a future where education becomes a collaborative effort between academics and students, designed to address real-world issues.
This session was more than just an exchange of ideas between academics and students; it fostered a transformative perspective on how partnerships can lead to innovative teaching models tailored to address today's global challenges.
This web dossier presents a collection of interviews conducted with academics from the PolyCIVIS network and beyond, shedding light on their teaching methodologies, experiences, and insights.
We invite you to explore these interviews and gain deeper insights into the transformative potential of education within the PolyCIVIS alliance.