April 3, 2025 – Nairobi, Kenya
The UNIHUBS project was featured at the high-level Regional Seminar on Labour Market Insertion of African Graduates – The Experience of Erasmus Mundus, held on 2–3 April 2025 at Strathmore University, Nairobi. Organised under the Erasmus Mundus Support Initiative (EMSI) by the European Commission and DAAD Brussels, the seminar brought together over 60 key stakeholders from academia, industry, and policymaking across Africa and Europe.
Representing UNIHUBS, Gideon Brefo, CEO of Hapa Space (a key implementing partner of the project), delivered a presentation during a session dedicated to exploring how EU-funded programmes beyond Erasmus Mundus are helping African graduates gain market-relevant skills. His presentation focused on the project’s approach to building stronger links between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania.
“UNIHUBS is about realigning higher education with digital innovation needs. We’re introducing practical interventions like coding bootcamps, experiential learning, and co-created training modules to prepare graduates for the workforce of today — and tomorrow,” Brefo shared during his session.
The project’s interventions, including a comprehensive labour market needs assessment, curriculum innovation, and pilot trainings, were well received by fellow participants. Brefo also highlighted some early findings from UNIHUBS’ field research, which identified key skills gaps in areas such as artificial intelligence, programming, data analytics, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Additionally, the session sparked conversations on scaling up university-industry collaboration, inspired in part by Kenya’s strong ecosystem model, which UNIHUBS is leveraging as a blueprint for broader adoption.
The event also featured other Erasmus+ and EU-funded initiatives — such as DEVise4Ke, F.A.I.T.H., and GREEN-STEM — that, like UNIHUBS, are working to strengthen the employability of African graduates through innovative education and skills development strategies.
As UNIHUBS continues its implementation, the project remains committed to creating an impact that extends beyond academic institutions into communities and the broader labour market.
About UNIHUBS
UNIHUBS is an Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project that connects Higher Education Institutions and Digital Innovation Hubs in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and partner institutions in the Netherlands and Greece. The goal is to co-develop curricula and training systems that are responsive to the digital innovation economy and labour market trends.
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