Erasmus+ CBHE · GA 101179337 · 2024–2027

Erasmus+ CBHE · Grant Agreement No. 101179337 · 2024–2027

Our Project Impact

MaDE-for-UASs turns European–Ethiopian partnership into measurable change: stronger lecturer practice, safer industrial learning for students, dual national centres, open tools, and an active industry–university council—so graduates enter the workforce with process competence, not only credentials.

Overall goal

Erasmus+ CBHE

Empower UAS educators to teach from the World of Work—so applied-science graduates leave campus with process competence, not only credentials.

The challenge

Ethiopia’s Universities of Applied Sciences reform requires programmes that combine rigorous knowledge with authentic workplace practice. Many campuses still face theory-heavy delivery, limited safe rehearsal of industrial tasks, uneven industry links, and lecturers without immersive teaching capacity.

Our response

MaDE-for-UASs (Grant Agreement No. 101179337) answers that gap through European–Ethiopian co-design, dual national centres, open didactic products, a cascade of master trainers, and an active industry–university council—so methods remain institutional after 2027.

Four strategic objectives

These CBHE-aligned objectives translate the overall goal into concrete change for educators, industry collaboration, students, and digital infrastructure. Every work package, centre activity, and open product maps to at least one of them.

SO-1 Focus · Educators

Strengthen practical skills of university educators

01 / 04

Move lecturer development beyond purely theoretical training. Equip UAS teaching staff with deep, workplace-aligned practical skills so they can design and facilitate practice-based learning with confidence.

How we deliver

  • Training of Trainers (ToT) and European–Ethiopian exchanges
  • Immersive practice in VR/AR and process simulation
  • Peer cascade from certified master trainers to campus colleagues

Expected outcomes

  • Lecturers able to plan and run practice-oriented sessions
  • National pathway toward ~60 certified master trainers
  • Capacity base for training ~3,000 academic staff
SO-2 Focus · Industry & collaboration

Deepen World-of-Work understanding and academia–industry collaboration

02 / 04

Connect campuses to real labour-market demand. Strengthen lecturers’ grasp of industrial processes and embed structured collaboration between Universities of Applied Sciences and industry partners.

How we deliver

  • National Resonance Group (NRG) advisory charter and MoU
  • Industry-informed curriculum and pilot feedback loops
  • Joint convenings, forums, and sector dialogue

Expected outcomes

  • Active public–private advisory council (NRG operational since Oct 2025)
  • Teaching content closer to workplace practice
  • Durable channels for co-design beyond the grant window
SO-3 Focus · Students

Raise the quality of technical education for students

03 / 04

Improve what students experience in applied programmes: safer, more experiential learning that builds process competence before—or alongside—physical lab and workplace placement.

How we deliver

  • Educators using modern didactic methods and immersive modules
  • Simulated industrial environments for high-risk or high-cost tasks
  • New and updated courses with practical placements (target 5+)

Expected outcomes

  • Students rehearse complex tasks with lower safety and cost barriers
  • Stronger readiness for World-of-Work roles
  • Pathway to engage 50,000+ students through updated provision
SO-4 Focus · Digital tools & infrastructure

Empower campuses with innovative digital teaching environments

04 / 04

Give staff and students a company-like digital environment for applied learning—using VR, AR, and simulation as permanent institutional tools, not one-off demos.

How we deliver

  • MaDE-Pedagogy Center (KUE) and MaDE-Technology Center (DDU)
  • Toolbox 2.0 and open VR/AR & simulation handbooks
  • Classroom piloting and open reuse via NADRE / project portal

Expected outcomes

  • Dual national hubs operational for training and XR production
  • Reusable open knowledge products for partner and non-partner UAS
  • Infrastructure and materials designed to outlast 2024–2027

Delivery levers

Four interlocking levers turn the strategic objectives into day-to-day delivery—methods, technology, institutions, and people & networks.

Pedagogy & methods

Active, project-based, student-centred didactics suited to the UAS mission—replacing pure content transmission.

Immersive technology

VR, AR, and process simulation as safe, scalable rehearsal spaces for industrial work labs cannot always host.

Dual national centres

Pedagogy Center at KUE and Technology Center at DDU—permanent infrastructure for training, production, and quality.

People & networks

Master-trainer cascade plus the National Resonance Group so capacity and industry advice multiply beyond the hubs.

Change pathway

Impact is a continuous pipeline—from European–Ethiopian co-design to national cascade and post-grant sustainability—not a single workshop or event.

01

Transfer

European UAS partners co-design immersive didactics with Ethiopian faculties.

02

Equip

Pedagogy and Technology Centres host hardware, workflows, and trainer cascades.

03

Multiply

Certified master trainers extend practice-based teaching beyond the project hubs.

04

Sustain

Open tools, NRG industry advice, and institutional ownership outlast the grant.

Impact horizon · 2024–2027

Headline targets

Quantified ambitions that sit under the overall goal and the four strategic objectives.

50,000+ Students (target) Students to reach through new and updated courses by project end
3,000 Staff (target) Lecturers and academic staff in immersive didactics (capacity target)
60 Master trainers (target) MaDE-for-UASs inspired courses with practical placements
2 Flagship hubs (live) National cascade network of certified VR/AR master trainers

Progress against the goal

Evidence already on the ground

2 flagship hubs live Pedagogy (KUE) · Technology (DDU) · clinics ongoing
NRG advisory cycle active MoU since Oct 2025 · quarterly sessions
Master-trainer cascade in progress Core ToT done · peer coaching underway
Toolbox & handbooks piloting Multi-site classrooms · open packaging