Capacity building in the field of higher education Strand 3

The Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) action supports international cooperation projects based on multilateral partnerships between organisations active in the field of higher education. It supports the relevance, quality, modernisation and responsiveness of higher education in third countries not associated to the Programme for socio-economic recovery, growth and prosperity and reacting to recent trends, in particular economic globalisation, but also the recent decline in human development, fragility, and rising social, economic and environmental inequalities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The action is expected to contribute to the overarching priorities of the European Commission:

• Green Deal (develop competences in sustainability relevant sectors, green sectorial skills strategies, and methodologies)
• Digital transformation (development and uptake of digital skills)
• Integration of migrants (promote mobility and recognition of degrees and credentials)
• Governance, peace, security and human development (strengthen active citizenship)
• Sustainable growth and jobs (build skills for life and work),

as well as to the external dimension of EU internal policies in the field of education. It will support a successful green and sustainable global economic recovery in the third countries not associated to the Programme, linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement.

The activities and outcomes of CBHE projects must be geared to benefit the eligible third countries not associated to the Programme, their higher education institutions (HEI) and systems.

Indicative 2023 CBHE budget per Region (in EURO):

Projects under this Strand shall support efforts in third countries not associated to the Programme to develop coherent and sustainable systems of higher education to meet their socio-economic needs and broad ambition to create a knowledge-driven economy. Mainstreaming and upscaling of successful results as well as synergies with ongoing or pipeline support in the area under bilateral support programmes are also elements of this Strand. Structural Reform projects will address the needs of eligible third countries not associated to the Programme to support sustainable systemic and structural improvement and innovation at the level of the higher education sector. More specifically, these projects will address the efforts of countries to develop coherent and sustainable systems of Higher Education to meet their socio-economic needs and ultimately create a knowledge-driven economy. By involving the competent National Authorities (notably Ministries of Education) of third countries not associated to the Programme, HEIs, Research institutions and other relevant authorities/bodies and stakeholders, these projects will particularly:

• Promote cooperation and mutual learning among and between public authorities at the highest institutional level of the EU Member states or third countries associated to the Programme and the eligible third countries not associated to the Programme to foster systemic improvement and innovation in the higher education sector.
• Promote inclusive higher education systems that can provide the right conditions for students of different backgrounds to access learning and succeed. Particular attention should therefore be paid to people with fewer opportunities.
• Increase the capacities of HEIs of third countries not associated to the Programme, bodies in charge of higher education and competent authorities (notably Ministries) through their participation in the definition, implementation and monitoring of reform processes to modernise their higher education systems, particularly in terms of governance and financing;

Identify synergies with ongoing EU initiatives in the third country(ies) not associated to the Programme in areas covered by Erasmus+.

Overarching Priorities under Strand 3

Given the nature of this Strand, which aims at supporting structural reforms in the third countries not associated to the Programme, the project must address the needs of higher education in the country(ies) concerned. Therefore, no overarching priorities are indicated in Part C of the application form.

Open education digital environment Ukraine

Under this Strand, the CBHE action will also support the creation of an open education digital environment to offer quality higher education for students fleeing from Ukraine or internally displaced students - as well as educational opportunities for the wide Ukrainian community abroad - based on cooperation between Ukrainian and other European universities and academic staff.

The aim will be to:

• support the development of a high-performing digital education ecosystem of Ukrainian universities, thus guaranteeing their performance during and after the conflict;
• support the digitalisation of teaching and learning methods and the provision of infrastructure required for remote and inclusive learning, reflecting the general goals of the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027.

The EU grant will be EUR 5 000 000 for only one project.

The indicative 2023 CBHE budget of Strand 3 per Region (in EURO) and the indicative number of projects to be funded are defined below.

In the Regions where the indicative budget is indicated as zero, normally projects in these Regions cannot be funded.

Please note that there is a flexibility of transferring budgets between the Strands.