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Plan Africa – UCSC

The most important European University active in Africa and with Africa

With the Africa Plan, Università Cattolica aims to become the most active European university in Africa and with Africa, working in partnership with universities and local institutions, with a view to mutual enrichment, for the integral formation of people, the promotion of brotherhood and peaceful social coexistence.
The African continent is thus placed at the heart of our educational, research and third mission projects. In a spirit of reciprocity, the University intends to expand the training paths for young Africans on site or in Italy, intensify joint research projects, contribute to the sustainable development of Africa by enhancing its knowledge and skills in the many areas in which the University is engaged. 

Projects
Faculty of Economics / E4Impact

ITACA Project

The ITACA project aims to promote the internationalization of the Italian academic world in Africa through a solid and effective plan built on the pillars of international mobility, inter-university cooperation, capacity building and development of new programs. ITACA has the ultimate goal of strengthening Italian academic knowledge and skills and to disseminate an inclusive and sustainable university model internationally, especially in the fields of entrepreneurship and sustainability in different sectors.

University Centre for International Solidarity

GRIOT

The GRIOT project aims to strengthen prevention and diagnosis campaigns and improve the clinical management of tuberculosis, promoting a "community-based" intervention model that addresses all aspects of the fight against tuberculosis: prevention, early diagnosis, care and treatment, sustainability of interventions. To implement this strategy, days called "TB-days" will be organized; During these events, a mobile team will directly visit the villages and schools to conduct training sessions and screening activities aimed at the population.

Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences

APPROPRIATE FOOD PRODUCTION: SUFFICIENT, SAFE, SUSTAINABLE (C3S)

The project aims to alleviate the problems of poverty and malnutrition that characterize small family farms in low-income countries, encouraging the establishment of local technical teams capable of assisting small farmers and getting them out of subsistence. The task of the working group of the Faculty of Agriculture, Environmental and Food Sciences is to work with local operators in the phases of knowledge of the reality, of elaborating hypotheses of solutions and implementing these on the territory.

For Students

5 items found
  • Harambee Africa International - with the patronage of Università Cattolica at the XI edition Communicating Africa Award International competition aimed at students, young filmmakers and creatives under 25 to encourage them to tell Africa with a free, informed and constructive gaze, developing narrative and communication skills that are also fundamental in the academic and professional fields
  • CeSI - University Centre for International Solidarity UCSC Charity Work Program Volunteer activities for periods of 3-8 weeks in line with the course of study: support to health personnel, planning, training activities in schools, coaching local staff in agricultural projects
  • Pastoral Centre Mission Exposure On mission for periods of 4 weeks carrying out activities with street children, visits to the poorest villages, meetings with adults in vulnerable conditions, helping children in conditions of educational and social poverty
  • International Area International Volunteering Volunteering for periods of 2-4 weeks in projects of cooperation, development and support to local communities: Environmental & Wildlife Conservation, Community Development, Women's Development, Construction & Renovation, Childcare & Teaching, Healthcare, Health Education, Special Needs Care
  • E4Impact Foundation Curricular internship and thesis on entrepreneurship Curricular internships in one of the African countries where E4Impact operates, for periods of 10 weeks or more, on entrepreneurship-related issues, supporting local entrepreneurs and collaborating in the foundation's activities
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Project mapping

The first phase of the Africa Plan – UCSC focused on the mapping of ongoing or recently completed projects at the University. In March 2025, the mapping led to the identification of 125 cards illustrating the initiatives promoted by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

Some elements have been considered: 

  • Title
  • Objectives and brief description of the projects
  • Type of initiative: Teaching, Research, Third Mission
  • Subject Area
  • Structures of Università Cattolica
  • Academic contact person
  • Country(s) of intervention
  • Funder
  • Nature of the funder
  • Economic dimension
  • Progress

The educational, research and third mission projects promoted by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Africa are a sign of the wealth of experience that our University has gained, developing interventions that in many cases combine the three areas.

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Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, with its 12 Faculties, covers a wide spectrum of disciplines.

The main thematic areas to which the projects carried out with Africa can be traced are:

  • Diaspora in Italy
  • Education
  • Local social and political problems
  • Health
  • Agri-food system and environmental sustainability
  • Economic development
  • Enhancement of local culture

The University's initiatives are fairly evenly distributed across the various thematic areas.

A large number of projects concern the area of Local Social and Political Problems, a cross-cutting theme with respect to the faculties of affiliation of the responsible professors. 

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At Università Cattolica there are numerous organisations that promote teaching, research and third mission initiatives on the African continent. These activities involve different academic structures, including faculties, which develop dedicated courses and study programmes; departments, which conduct research on issues of common interest with African partners; and the University Centres and Research Centres, which coordinate interdisciplinary projects, international collaborations and development cooperation activities. 

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Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore has active or has just concluded numerous international cooperation projects that focus on a single African country and others that involve several nations on the continent.

Projects focused on a single country are often developed to address specific local needs, such as improving economic conditions, access to education, health or agricultural development.

On the contrary, regional or multinational projects address problems common to several countries, such as the assessment of the risks of illicit financial flows, entrepreneurship training, and food security on a large scale.

  • Università Cattolica operates in 40 of the 54 African countries.
  • There are also 19 initiatives carried out in Italy involving beneficiaries from the African continent.
  • The countries with which it collaborates are both English-speaking and French-speaking (to which is added Mozambique, Portuguese-speaking).

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Numerous initiatives with significant budgets are financed by funds from the Italian Government (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ministry of University and Research, Ministry of the Interior, Prime Minister's Office...).

The projects funded by the European Commission draw on funds from the FAMI calls of the Ministry of the Interior, Erasmus+, European Research Council or Horizon 2020.

22 projects are funded by international organizations (foreign universities, international foundations or UN agencies).

Some projects of small or medium economic capacity are supported with University funds.

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PRESIDENT

  • Prof. Elena Beccalli, Rector of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

DIRECTOR

  • Prof. Mario Molteni, Full Professor of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics

MEMBERS OF PLAN AFRICA

  • Prof. Marco Allena, Full Professor of Tax Law, Faculty of Economics and Law
  • Prof. Francesca Benatti, Full Professor of Comparative Private Law, Faculty of Law 
  • Prof. Benedetto Lorenzo Cannatelli, Associate Professor of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics
  • Prof. Raul Caruso, Full Professor of Economic Policy, Faculty of Linguistic Sciences and Foreign Literatures
  • Prof. Marco Caselli, Full Professor of Sociology of Cooperation, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
  • Prof. Stefano Colombo, Full Professor of Political Economy, Faculty of Law
  • Prof. Gabriele Ferrini, Associate Professor of Experimental Physics of Matter and Applications, Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences
  • Prof. Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco, Associate Professor of Demo-ethno-anthropological Disciplines, Faculty of Education
  • Prof. Chiara Giaccardi, Full Professor of Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
  • Prof. Caterina Gozzoli, Full Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology
  • Prof. Beatrice Nicolini, Full Professor of African History and Institutions, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
  • Prof. Andrea Paolo Perrone, Full Professor of Commercial Law, Faculty of Banking, Finance and Insurance Sciences
  • Prof. Vincenzo Tabaglio, Associate Professor of Agronomy and Herbaceous Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
  • Prof. Carlo Torti, Full Professor of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery ''A. Gemelli''
  • H. E. Mons. Claudio Giuliodori, General Ecclesiastical Assistant
  • Paolo Nusiner, General  Manager

            

Urgent mitigation measures to preserve the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the dire sheik hussein site from climate change impacts

Reference office: Cesi - University Centre for International Solidarity

Coordinator: Prof. Marco Lombardi

Job Description: The position is part of a project aimed at protecting the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Dire Sheik Hussein site (Ethiopia), threatened by the effects of climate change. The role includes supporting the implementation of climate resilience measures, including reforestation interventions, rehabilitation of damaged structures, installation of drainage systems and implementation of solutions for the safety of pilgrims.

Job Position: UCSC1 TRAINER - Methodological Supervision on Climate Change and Heritage Adaptation.
Planning of the training in collaboration with local teachers, evaluation of safety and quality standards, support and supervision in the classroom.

Info: cesi@unicatt.it

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