ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Lumsa University has launched the Lumsa University Africa Centre (LUAC), an initiative designed to reinforce academic, cultural, socio-economic, and financial relations between Europe and Africa, while enhancing the value of Lumsa’s academic and cultural assets. The centre was officially presented during the roundtable “Education, Skills and Growth in Africa and Europe.”
“The project originated from the initiative of the rector and the board of directors, with the aim of providing Lumsa students with timely and accurate perspectives on Africa, a continent too often represented through distorted narratives,” explained Ambassador Pietro Sebastiani, Director of the Lumsa University Africa Centre. “Our work will be multifaceted. The centre will be highly inclusive, not limited to scholars, but open to experiential learning for young people. These opportunities will go beyond academic study, fostering deeper engagement with local contexts in entrepreneurship, culture, journalism, and politics.”
As part of its activities, LUAC has launched a call for 10 scholarships to participate in the Luac Winter School, funded by Lumsa. The programme will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) from 14 February to 1 March 2026.
“We are particularly pleased to open our university to this new strategic focus on Africa, consistent with our tradition of placing people at the centre of our mission,” stated Lumsa Rector Francesco Bonini. “Our approach is based on reciprocity: exchange is never one-directional but mutually enriching. What we seek to highlight is a genuine commitment to Africa, a continent that represents not only the future but also an essential part of our present.”
The establishment of LUAC is aligned with major global and European strategies, including the Global Compact on Education, the Italian Mattei Plan for Africa, and the European Union’s Global Gateway. The Center also integrates with the policies of leading international organizations such as UNESCO, with which it will develop project synergies.
“Africa’s future will be decisively shaped by its rapidly expanding youth population, projected to double by 2050,” noted Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education. “Currently, the continent counts approximately 450 million young people. With access to quality education and training, and through the creation of a broader ecosystem that extends beyond primary and secondary schooling, this demographic can become a decisive asset—both for Africa’s own development and for building authentic partnerships with the Global North, particularly with Europe, whose demographic trajectory is in sharp contrast to that of Africa.”
– photo xc3/Italpress –
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