The Impactful, Inclusive, Integrated Higher Education in Eastern Africa (3is) Project, supported by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, has successfully concluded, marking a major milestone in transforming higher education across Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Over
the course of 2024–2025, the project brought together 22 partners from Europe and Eastern Africa, including institutions from Spain, Greece, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, to advance internationalization, inclusiveness, innovation, and regional integration in higher education. Guided by the principle that “Every Voice Matters,” the project ensured that historically
marginalized communities and institutions could actively shape a more equitable and impactful higher education ecosystem.
The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre – Eastern Africa (GTRCMC–EA), hosted at Kenyatta University, played a central role in the project. Under the leadership of Hon. Rebecca Miano, EGH, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Kenya, and inspired by
Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, the Centre has continued to champion resilience, innovation, and sustainable development.
In recognition of its excellence, GTRCMC–EA received the Global Resilience Award in London in November 2024 for its contributions to sustainable tourism and crisis recovery. Through the 3is initiative, the Centre extended its mission beyond tourism to include educational resilience, capacity building, and community empowerment across Eastern Africa.
The 3is Project revolved around five key focus areas: internationalization, inclusiveness, educational innovation and academic excellence, community and industry engagement, and regional integration. These pillars guided all activities, ensuring that higher education institutions not only strengthened their internal capacities but also became more responsive to the needs of
their communities and the region. The 3is Project has been nominated for the Global Education Awards, a recognition celebrating excellence and innovation in transformative education.
Over the project period, partners participated in a series of strategic workshops and field-based activities. The project officially launched at a Kickoff Meeting in Nairobi in March 2024, where partners set the agenda for international collaboration, innovation, and community
engagement. In May 2024, workshops in Addis Ababa focused on internationalization and inclusive education, developing frameworks for academic mobility, policy strategies, and inclusive learning practices for students with fewer opportunities. Later, in November 2024, a workshop
hosted by the University of Girona in Spain explored innovative teaching methods, digital learning, AI integration, micro-credentials, and blended learning approaches. Field-based workshops in Turkana and Garissa, Kenya, in May 2025 emphasized community and industry embedding, regional integration, and strategies for strengthening cross-border cooperation and
quality assurance in higher education. The project culminated in a Closing Conference at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia, on 6-7 November 2025, where partners, ministries, and community representatives celebrated the achievements and envisioned the future of inclusive and resilient higher education in the region.
Throughout the project, partners strengthened institutional ties through visits to the University of Hargeisa and Puntland State University, engaged with the Commission for University Education in Kenya, facilitated over 20 mobilities between Europe and Eastern Africa, and signed numerous memoranda of understanding that ensured sustainable international
collaborations.
Looking ahead, the 3is legacy will deepen its impact by equipping students with practical and digital skills, bridging the skills gap through industry- aligned programs, and supporting rural communities through micro- credentials and co-learning models. The project will continue to create cross- border innovation hubs, integrate AI and emerging technologies in education, formalize traditional skills through recognition of prior learning, and ensure that communities facing drought, insecurity, and limited access to education remain central to all interventions.
The 3is Project has demonstrated that inclusive, connected, and community- driven higher education is a powerful tool for peace, resilience, and transformation. Institutions have been strengthened, youth empowered, and communities bridged across borders. The 3is legacy inspires a vision of higher education in Eastern Africa where every learner matters, every idea counts, and every border becomes a bridge.
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