HumAct responds to two mains sets of challenges and provides an integrative solution to them. The first challenge is the enhancement of capacities in the field of higher education in the partner countries of Cape Verde and Mozambique, in collaboration with the programme countries of Greece and Portugal. The second responds to the professionalization needs in the humanitarian sector in the partner countries. HumAct’s focus is on: building capacity with regard to content in the substantive aspects of humanitarian action (HA), with a particular focus on climate change and displacements; building research capacity of educators and students; enhancing the pedagogical strategies of educators; and strengthening community-university relationships. Despite Cape Verde’s and Mozambique’s vulnerabilities to climate related disasters, and the impacts of internally and externally displaced people, particularly in Mozambique, neither of the partner institutions have curricula that specifically address HA. This project will fill that gap by, inter-alia, fulfilling the goals of developing contextually relevant curricula, modernisation, internationalisation, and by developing the HEIs within the broader contexts of their societies. The methodology is premised on democratic, participatory and collaborative decision-making among all participating institutions, and on experiential, participatory and emancipatory approaches to the capacity building initiatives, teaching, research, field practice education, and community engagements. The HumAct project responds to two of the greatest threats of the 21st century – climate change and displacements, the latter induced by environmental disasters and a range of socio-political, economic and cultural factors that see the increasing phenomena of forced migration, asylum seeking and refugeeism across the world.

Reason:To implement five Mining/Geology degrees with a focus on Local Economic Development. The target countries are: Cape Verde, Angola and Mozambique. The EU Partners are the Universities of Coimbra, Salamanca and Turin and a Research Centre (CES, PT). Scientific objectives: (i) Increase the understanding of the geoscientific factors affecting the global environment in order to improve human living conditions; (ii) Develop more effective methods to find and sustainably exploit natural resources of minerals, energy and groundwater (ii) Increase the understanding of geological processes and concepts of global importance, including an emphasis on socially relevant issues, (iii) Improve standards, methods and techniques of carrying out geological research. It follows the recommendations from the AU Agenda 2063 and the UN-SDGoals: (1), (4), (5), (6), (7) and (17).Outputs:Three BSc courses (Geology, Geological Engineering and Mining Engineering), one MSc (Geology) and one PhD (Geology) involving the training of at least 40 teachers and 250 students in two years of ongoing courses. Bibliographic materials will be prepared and a several online courses supplied. The courses will be aligned with the Bologna recommendations.Impact:To address the huge gap in terms of the requisite infrastructure and critical human resources at all levels to fully realize the potential benefits that would accrue from the sustainable use of mineral resources and to assure local benefits by tackling the root causes of poverty, levering inclusive growth and development and seeking to secure sustainable financing. To facilitate communication and exchange among scientists by bringing together complementary interests so as to improve standards, methods and techniques for carrying out geoscience research, including the transfer of fundamental and applied knowledge between collaborating partners. The partnership brings a new attitude regarding the exploitation of natural resources in Africa.