Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
2 November 2009
Maputo — The Mozambican and Dutch governments signed an agreement in Maputo on Monday under which a Dutch grant of 14 million euros (about 20.7 million US dollars) will be used to strengthen reforms under way in Mozambican higher education.
The agreement, valid for three years, was signed by Education Minister Aires Ali and Dutch Ambassador Frans Bijvoet.
Among the programmes under way in higher education, said Ali, was implementation of a system of accumulation and transfer of academic credits, a university accreditation system, and the general improvement of quality in university level bodies.
These reforms, he said, seek to enable Mozambique to compete on a footing of equality at regional and international level.
He stressed that the fight against poverty, and the country's development, require highly trained staff, hence the government's determination to expand and improve higher education.
Bijvoet noted that Dutch universities have been cooperating with Mozambique's oldest university, the Eduardo Mondlane University, since the 1970s. This cooperation would be further strengthened with the new agreement, which forms part of a programme known as NICHE (Dutch Initiative for the Development of Post-Secondary Education Capacities).
Higher education, he said, "should offer good opportunities for Mozambican women and men to seek information to develop their professional, scientific and research capacities".
After the signing of this "document of intent", said the ambassador, there would follow a phase of "concrete projects of concrete institutions". The purpose of such projects would be to share knowledge and know-how.
"Knowledge, experience and know-how are enriched by both parties", added Bijvoet. "This is a win-win situation. Everybody wins".
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