In a landmark moment for Africa and Europe, the University of Cape Town (UCT) has teamed up with Sciences Po - a public university in Paris, France - to offer students a prestigious, internationally recognised dual degree programme. It has been described as a milestone in academic cooperation between the two continents.
What this means is that students will now have the opportunity to earn two master's degrees - one from Sciences Po and the other from UCT. The programme follows years of collaboration between the two institutions, and marks Sciences Po's first-ever collaborative degree offering on the African continent. The agreement, cementing the partnership, was signed in Paris on Friday, 21 March, and has been made possible through a €120 000 grant by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs - supporting the broader strategic goal of developing academic collaborations between France and South Africa. The aim of the partnership is to train experts who are capable of meeting global challenges in governance, public policy and sustainable urban development.
"UCT's partnership with Sciences Po is a testament to the growing importance of African higher education on the global stage."
"UCT's partnership with Sciences Po is a testament to the growing importance of African higher education on the global stage. By establishing this programme, UCT reaffirms its commitment to shaping the future of global education, advancing academic excellence and promoting cross-cultural exchange that empowers students to lead in an increasingly interconnected world," said UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela.
Dual collaborative degree
The dual collaborative degree offers two master's programmes: governance and international relations - a partnership between the Paris School of International Affairs and UCT's Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance; as well as in urban studies - a collaboration between Sciences Po's Urban School and UCT's Africa Centre for Cities.
The degree will span a period of two years and students are required to complete one year of study at each university - with the first year taking place at UCT, followed by a second year at Sciences Po. Students will then return to UCT to complete their final semester.
"It has been a long journey, with teams working on this since 2023. I commend the teams, including the deans and administrative staff in the two faculties, as well as the support teams in the Office of the Registrar, the International Academic Programmes Office and the Research Office," Professor Moshabela said.
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He said the UCT team engaged with their French counterparts multiple times over the past two years and also visited the university. Similarly, he said, a delegation from Sciences Po visited UCT on several occasions too. And during these engagements, the respective teams managed to resolve the technical glitches that make the design of dual degrees difficult.
'A decisive step forward'
The programme's joint admission process opens in September 2025 and the first cohort of students are expected to start their academic programmes in February 2027.
The universities have plans to enrol 20 students from diverse socio-cultural and geographical backgrounds annually and will make three full-time scholarships available through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
"With the signing of this dual degree, we have taken a decisive step forward, giving this collaboration a new dimension through a programme of excellence in social sciences, at the crossroads of Europe and Africa," said the president of Sciences Po, Luis Vassy.
