The 19th Technical and Advisory Meeting (TAM) for the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE II) Project was held on June 11 – 12th 2025 in Maputo, Mozambique. TAM is held biannually to facilitate regional collaboration, networking and knowledge sharing for the Africa Centers of Excellence (ACEs) and their partners. TAM promotes partnerships among ACEs and between ACEs and partner institutions.
In attendance were Members of the Regional Steering and National Steering Committees, Executive Directors of National Councils for Higher Education, Vice Chancellors and Center Leaders, among others. The ACE II Project is financed by the World Bank and implemented by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA).
Hon Samaria dos Anjos Filemon Tovela, Minister of Education and Culture, Republic of Mozambique officiated the opening.
Let me emphasize the strategic importance of collaboration among universities, governments, the private sector, and local communities. The Centers of Excellence must be increasingly connected to the real challenges of our societies: food security, climate change, youth employment, industrialization, and digital transformation. Only in this way can we truly fulfill the mission of the project.
The Government of Mozambique remains firmly committed to valuing higher education and scientific research as central pillars of development. We will continue to create the necessary policy, institutional, and financial conditions to ensure that our centers and universities thrive nationally, regionally, and globally.
…We are aware that the World Bank has already expressed openness to considering a new phase of the ACE project, which is, without a doubt, a sign of confidence in what we have achieved together. However, we also know that the decision to continue this support will largely depend on the level of commitment shown by the national governments themselves.”
Prof Gaspard Banyankimbona, Executive Secretary, IUCEA
Under the performance-based financing model adopted for this project, we have made significant strides in disbursement efficiency. Since the last Technical and Advisory Meeting in Lilongwe in October 2024, our ACEs have accelerated their performance, resulting in an additional $19 million recommended for disbursement.
This has raised the cumulative disbursement rate for ACE II AF from 41% to 73% as of June 2025—a testament to the hard work and dedication of our center leaders and teams.
Mr Ian Forde, Program Leader, World Bank Mozambique
A hallmark of the ACE model is its strong linkages with the private sector. Each center actively engages industry stakeholders and investors in the research and innovation process. This ensures that research outputs are not just academic, but market-relevant, enabling commercialization, the development of new products, and ultimately, the translation of knowledge into solutions that drive economic growth.
ACE II is also contributing to the development of a robust regional higher education market. By fostering cross-border mobility of faculty and students, promoting joint degrees, and supporting knowledge exchanges, the program builds a shared ecosystem that is conducive to regional integration, innovation, and commercial partnerships.
TAM discussions centred on management of incubation centers, ACE sustainability, accreditation of academic programs and Community Action Research Projects (CARPS).
The Project’s objective is to strengthen the selected ACEs to deliver quality post-graduate education and build collaborative research capacity in the regional priority areas of Industry, Agriculture, Health, Education and Applied Statistics. The TAM is organised by IUCEA – the Regional Facilitation Unit, in partnership with the World Bank Group.
