An analysis of the divergent governance models of Robert Mugabe and Nelson Mandela has concluded that political leadership is an active force capable of redirecting the course of development in post-liberation African states, according to a master’s thesis awarded with distinction at Cairo University.

Submitted by journalist and political researcher Ahmed Mamdouh Helmy, the research examined the relationship between leadership patterns and political transformations within post-independence African nations. The thesis was discussed by the Department of Politics and Economics at the university’s Faculty of African Graduate Studies.

The study argued that political leadership in Africa should not be viewed merely as a reflection of institutional structures or historical and social contexts. Instead, it operates as an active force capable of redirecting political evolution within the limits of each country’s historical and social realities.

To illustrate this, the research utilised a comparative study of Mugabe in Zimbabwe and Mandela in South Africa. The study explained that the two experiences represent contrasting models of leadership practice, serving as a revealing example of the divergent paths taken by post-liberation states.

Although both leaders began from a common starting point rooted in national struggle, national liberation movements, revolutionary legitimacy, and charismatic leadership, they moved toward distinct models of governance and institution-building. These differing approaches to state management ultimately produced markedly different outcomes regarding political stability and development, highlighting the direct influence of leadership on the continent’s development trajectories.

Following the defence session, the examination committee awarded Helmy a master’s degree with distinction, praising the study’s academic rigour and its balanced analytical treatment of a prominent issue in African political studies.

The academic session was chaired by Professor AbdelSalam Noweir, Professor of Political Science and former Dean of the Faculty of Commerce at Assiut University, who served as an examiner. The committee also included Professor Shaimaa Moheyeldin, Professor of Political Science at the Faculty of African Studies, as an examiner. Professor Sally Farid, Professor of Economics and Head of the Department of Politics and Economics at the faculty, and Dr. Ahmed Amal, Professor of Political Science at the faculty, served as supervisors.

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Speaking at the gathering, IFC Vice President for Africa Ethiopis Tafara stated that the institution’s initial investment in Egypt was a $5m allocation to a ceramics factory outside Cairo a half-century ago. Tafara noted that this initial investment at a time when the country was opening its economy represented confidence in Egyptian entrepreneurs and has since compounded over time through reform, renewal, and persistence.

Addressing the country’s next phase of economic development, Tafara identified export competitiveness, climate-smart investments, and regional integration as key opportunities. He emphasised that current policy choices regarding the investment climate, trade, and financial development are expanding opportunity and strengthening predictability. Progress, he added, is emerging through collaboration between public leadership, private innovation, and the IFC’s full toolkit, aiming to generate jobs, resilience, and shared prosperity for future generations.

The anniversary event also served as a retirement farewell for Cheikh Oumar Sylla, the IFC division director who has operated in Egypt for the past four years. Tafara credited Sylla with deepening dialogue with governments and bridging the gap between reform ambition and real investment outcomes across his tenure.

Sylla, who joined the IFC in 2017 and previously worked in fragile states, highlighted his role in leading the asset monetisation programme in Egypt, which he termed one of the most important mandates in the corporation’s history. He attributed the programme’s scale to the institution’s willingness to put its full weight behind the country’s hard decisions.

“Egypt had the vision. IFC has the tools. And together, we built something that will outlast both of us,” Sylla said.

Acknowledging the efforts of government counterparts who kept faith through difficult situations, risk-taking private sector partners, and IFC teams globally, Sylla expressed conviction in the continent’s broader economic potential. He noted that Africa’s youth population and entrepreneurs are the real drivers of the future, adding that the necessary conditions must be prepared for them.

The event, described by Tafara as a handoff to the leaders shaping Egypt’s next chapter, was attended by public leaders, private sector representatives, and multilateral development agencies. Deputy Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Samar El-Ahdal was introduced to speak on behalf of Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and World Bank Group Governor.

Tafara concluded the proceedings by urging stakeholders to keep building with a long-term view, investing with imagination, and partnering with conviction for the next 50 years of development.

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Khaled Hashem, Minister of Industry, stated that the government’s strategy is shifting away from merely reducing imports towards targeted industrial integration based on scientific criteria. He emphasised a focus on technology, know-how, and high-quality human capital over traditional foreign direct investment. “The private sector is the key solution for all our problems; it is the most efficient and fastest vehicle for transformation,” Hashem said, adding that he wants to see more artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things implemented within the industrial sector.

The panel discussion highlighted the historic relationship between Egypt and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which has contributed approximately $10bn in mobilised financing over the past 50 years, including through public-private partnerships.

Ousmane Dione, Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank—who previously oversaw a nearly $18bn portfolio as country director for Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan—outlined a unified platform strategy for future growth. Dione stated that the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) will focus on upstream policy reforms and asset monetisation, while the IFC translates those reforms into bankable transactions and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) provides guarantees. Dione identified strengthening sector confidence, mobilising long-term capital, and accelerating the climate transition as the most binding constraints to Egypt’s next phase of transformation. Summarising his vision for the next 50 years, Dione used the acronym “EGYPT” to stand for “Eagerness for Growth Yielding Prosperity and Transformation for all Egyptians”.

Addressing the financial sector, Hesham Ezz Al-Arab, Chief Executive Officer of CIB Egypt, detailed his institution’s 25-year relationship with the IFC. The IFC was a shareholder when CIB was first listed on the stock exchange and returned as an investor in 2005 following the privatisation of remaining government holdings. Ezz Al-Arab noted a strategic shift from financial inclusion to financial empowerment, stating that CIB has exceeded the regulatory requirement of dedicating 25% of its loan portfolio to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by targeting youth and women. Looking ahead, Ezz Al-Arab identified Africa as the single boldest opportunity for Egypt’s private sector.

A closing speaker reflected on the long-term impact of the 50-year partnership, noting that early policy conversations about feed-in tariffs laid the groundwork for the Benban solar installation, while the establishment of a credit bureau helped drive Egypt’s financial inclusion rates from 27% to over 76%. With up to 1.3m young Egyptians entering the labour market annually, the speaker called for large-scale mobilisation from the international donor community to support the country’s demographic dividend. “The question is not whether Egypt is ready; the question is how fast we can move together to meet it,” the speaker concluded.

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The discussions focused on strengthening investment and trade integration between Egypt and African countries through innovative financing mechanisms to support exporters and investors. Talks also covered leveraging the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System to facilitate transactions, reduce dependence on foreign currencies, and enhance cooperation in sectors including mining, tourism and construction.

The meeting further explored ways to strengthen Egypt’s role as a continental re-export hub, support Egyptian trade with African markets through the export trading companies programme, and review frameworks governing Egyptian capital markets.

Farid said the ministry is working to directly link investment opportunities in Egypt with African markets to help attract regional and international investment flows.

He noted that the government continues to improve investment services, streamline cross-border trade procedures, expand digitalisation and simplify processes to strengthen the business environment and support expansion across African markets.

The minister highlighted promising investment opportunities in industry, tourism, construction and mining, stressing that cooperation with Afreximbank provides important support for deepening economic integration between Egypt and other African countries while expanding financing tools and local currency settlement mechanisms.

For his part, El Maayergi reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to strengthening cooperation in African financing and intra-African trade, expressing appreciation for its longstanding partnership with Egypt.

He said Afreximbank views Egypt as a strategic partner in Africa’s economic integration agenda, citing the country’s infrastructure capabilities, geographic position, and progress in digitalisation and financial services as factors reinforcing its role as a regional trade and investment hub.

El Maayergi also reviewed the bank’s initiative aimed at positioning Egypt as a continental re-export centre by leveraging the country’s network of special economic zones, free zones and logistics infrastructure. The initiative seeks to facilitate the movement of goods between Africa, Asia and Europe under preferential rules of origin within the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.

He added that Afreximbank has proposed launching a joint programme with the ministry and Egyptian export institutions to accredit a group of Egyptian export trading companies, helping consolidate and distribute Egyptian exports more effectively across African markets.

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Speaking at the Africa-France summit in Nairobi, Al-Sisi’s demands for equitable financial structures were echoed by African leaders seeking easier credit access, prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to announce €23bn ($27bn) in mutual investments and support for a mechanism to de-risk lending on the continent.

“There is no development without peace… and no peace without development,” Al-Sisi told summit attendees. He stated that growing geopolitical tensions, including those in the Middle East, are severely disrupting global supply chains and food and energy security. This places a heavier burden on African countries attempting to achieve development goals while maintaining fiscal discipline, Al-Sisi said, advocating for new mechanisms such as debt-for-development swaps and the expansion of green bonds.

Addressing the gathering—which included Kenyan President William Ruto, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf—Macron framed the relationship as a “partnership of equals.”

The French president outlined €14bn ($16.4bn) of investments in public and private funds from French companies, alongside €9bn ($10.5bn) from African firms. The funds will target the energy transition, agriculture, and artificial intelligence (AI), and are expected to create 250,000 jobs in France and Africa.

“We are not simply here to come and invest on the African continent alongside you – we need great African business leaders to come and invest in France,” Macron told heads of state from more than 30 African nations during the two-day summit, France’s first in an English-speaking African country.

During the second day of the summit on Tuesday, African leaders pressed for reforms to lower borrowing costs, arguing that lenders hold an unduly high perception of risk that makes credit prohibitively expensive. Macron supported creating a first-loss guarantee mechanism to de-risk investments, a proposal he pledged to lobby for at the G7 summit next month.

“The issue … is not liquidity. It is risk architecture,” Ruto said in his remarks to the summit.

Al-Sisi also highlighted the necessity of supporting nascent African industries, building the capacity of African youth, and activating the African Continental Free Trade Area by bolstering intra-African supply chains. He noted that despite regional crises, Egypt has continued its economic reform programme by tightening monetary and fiscal policies and developing its transport and logistics infrastructure to serve as a gateway to the African continent.

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The proposed June session aims to provide a platform for dialogue on the continent’s energy priorities, support development projects, and enhance African integration in the energy sector.

During the talks, Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi and APPO Secretary-General Farid Ghazali reviewed the latest developments regarding the launch of the African Energy Bank. The two sides exchanged views on the executive steps required to launch the bank, a strategic APPO initiative, and its expected role in financing oil and gas projects across the continent.

Badawi highlighted the necessity of joint work to confront Africa’s energy challenges, particularly regarding the provision of necessary funding for infrastructure projects. He noted that the continent possesses promising opportunities and substantial resources that require deepened cooperation and the exchange of expertise among member states.

Addressing regional cooperation, the meeting focused on capacity building via training centres and leveraging Egyptian expertise to qualify African personnel. Ghazali announced the impending launch of the African training platform within the continent by the end of the current year, praising Egypt’s role in supporting joint African action and noting the benefit of its successful experience in developing the energy sector.

Badawi stated that Egypt possesses a strong base of national companies specialised in oil and gas infrastructure, specifically naming Enppi, Petrojet, EPROM, San Misr, the Egyptian Drilling Company, and the Modern Drilling Company. He said these firms have successfully executed major domestic and international projects, enhancing their capacity to contribute to African energy and infrastructure plans and transfer expertise.

Ghazali expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s support of APPO’s activities and praised the country’s advanced infrastructure and the global reputation of its national companies. He affirmed the organisation’s desire to expand cooperation with Egypt and other member states, particularly in the training sector.

The meeting marked Ghazali’s first visit to Cairo since assuming his post. Badawi welcomed the secretary-general, expressing his pride in the cooperative relations between APPO, Egypt, and all African nations. He highlighted APPO’s commitment to supporting efforts that maximise the utilisation of the continent’s resources to achieve economic development and secure the energy needs of African peoples.

The talks to boost Egyptian-African integration in the oil, gas, and energy sectors were also attended by Ihab Ragai, First Undersecretary of the Ministry for Production and Egypt’s representative on the APPO Executive Board, and Salah Abdel Karim, Chief Executive Officer of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation.

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The two-day summit, held on May 11 and 12 under the theme “Africa Forward,” is expected to welcome 30 heads of state, with 10 having arrived so far. Upon his arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Al-Sisi was received by Kenyan Minister of Health Aden Duale, Chief of Protocol of the Republic of Kenya Séverine Luyali, EgyptianAmbassador to Kenya Hatem Youssry, and members of the Egyptian embassy.

Egyptian presidential spokesperson Mohamed El-Shennawy stated that Al-Sisi will deliver Egypt’s address during the summit and hold bilateral meetings with African leaders and international officials.

The gathering marks the first time the summit is being held in an Anglophone country. It is expected to draw reactions to the withdrawal of French troops from West Africa, which was completed last year amid France’s waning regional influence.

Ambassador Youssry noted the event comes as major powers seek to enhance their presence in the resource-rich continent. The summit aims to advance sustainable development based on mutual benefit and capitalise on investment and trade opportunities. Core priorities include economic growth, digital transformation, energy, reforming the international financial system, and integrating African priorities into global economic frameworks.

Attendees include the French President, the UN Secretary-General, heads of international and regional finance organisations, and African and French business representatives.

On the margins of the summit, the Ministerial Meeting on the Reform of the UN Security Council took place. African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf reaffirmed the continent’s united position on the matter.

“Africa is not asking for a favour; Africa is demanding the correction of a historical injustice,” Youssouf said, stressing that the continent can no longer remain excluded from permanent representation given its demographic, political, and economic weight.

Guided by the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, Youssouf stated that Africa continues to call for no fewer than two permanent seats with full prerogatives, including the veto while it exists, and five non-permanent seats in an expanded Council.

Welcoming the support of France, Kenya, and Sierra Leone in advancing the African Model, Youssouf called for concrete action to transform international consensus into meaningful reform.

“The credibility & legitimacy of the Security Council depend on its ability to reflect the realities of today’s world, not the geopolitical order of 1945,” he stated, noting that the African Union’s permanent membership in the G20 demonstrates that global governance institutions can evolve to become more representative.

Alongside high-level diplomacy, the summit places a heavy emphasis on civil society. The first day is devoted to panels of business representatives and debates with young people.

Questions remain over the fulfilment of promises made at the previous France-Africa summit held in Montpellier in 2021. Attention will be on the Council for Monitoring Commitments to see if past resolutions are enacted. For example, the House of African Worlds and Diasporas—a venue dedicated to contemporary African cultures—was established in Paris in 2025 but still lacks a permanent home, which the French government has promised to deliver in 2027 following elections.

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May 9 commemorates the 1950 Schuman Declaration, an initiative by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman to pool the coal and steel of historic rivals France and West Germany. Initially known as Schuman Day, it was a pragmatic measure to ensure that materials necessary for arms production were locked into civilian use in a joint and transparent manner. This first step, involving two countries and two components, paved the way for a continental project built on incremental interdependence, celebrated on ‘Europe Day’ since 1985.

The declaration explicitly named Africa as a primary beneficiary, stating that with “increased resources,” Europe could pursue “one of its essential tasks, namely, the development of the African continent.” Scholars cite this as the foundational text for “Eurafrica”—a concept in which a unified Europe (rather than the “fortress Europe” feared by its development partners) would maintain influence and resource access through shared development.

May 25 marks the 1963 founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa, driven by Pan-African Founding Fathers including Gamal Abdel Nasser, Haile Selassie, Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, and Ahmed Sékou Touré. Initially designated “African Liberation Day”—an evolution of the 1958 “African Freedom Day”—the OAU Charter’s primary mission was to “eradicate all forms of colonialism from Africa,” directly confronting remaining European imperial rule and the Apartheid regime. The summit marked a shift from fragmented anti-colonial struggles to a coordinated continental framework centred on sovereignty, political unity, and collective agency—a trajectory that would later evolve into the African Union and be commemorated annually as Africa Day.

At the same 1963 summit, newly independent states insisted on equitable representation within United Nations organs, specifically the Security Council. This was not a plea for inclusion, but an early assertion that African independence was intrinsically linked to a global order in which African nations should be full-fledged actors. More than sixty years later, that demand remains unmet. Africa still lacks permanent representation in the world’s pre-eminent security body, and proposals to expand seats without reviewing veto power are widely regarded as entrenching representational asymmetry.

Taken together, the European Union and the African Union represent two distinct post-war political projects: one organised around continental integration through interdependence, the other around decolonisation, sovereignty, and collective African agency. The European Union today is often associated with debates over strengthening military capacity, protecting economic and strategic interests, and advancing energy security within a shifting Euro-Atlantic order.

The African Union continues to frame its priorities around unity and integration as conditions for peace and development, alongside a sustained focus on ending conflict, advancing governance reforms, and accelerating the African Continental Free Trade Area as a vehicle for economic integration. These strands are echoed in the spirit of the AU anthem, where unity—continental and national—is the foundation for stability and collective progress. Egypt is deeply committed to achieving this vision.

Hosting the first Africa-Europe Summit in 2000 established Cairo as an ideal convening ground. Yet, looking back, the opening declaration’s phrasing—that “over the centuries, ties have existed between Africa and Europe, which have led to many areas of co-operation”—reflected the careful compromises typical of multilateral diplomacy. Consensus often depends on a language broad enough for all parties to endorse. Still, the formulation inevitably flattened a far more unequal history of extraction, domination, and resistance—the very grievances African leaders had placed at the centre of the continental project.

Cairo now operates within a regional order that is gradually becoming more coherent and, in principle, more equal. The AU summit in June 2026 is significant to Egypt for two reasons: first, its theme, “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems,” is a matter of acute priority for Egypt as one of the countries facing severe to near-absolute water scarcity on a global scale; and secondly, its location, New Alamein.

New Alamein carries its own weight of symbolism. For decades, this stretch of Egypt’s northwestern coast was known as the Devil’s Garden, a name it acquired because of vast fields of landmines and unexploded remnants left by the Second World War battles of 1942 between Axis and Allied forces. A landscape defined by war, cemeteries, and danger has since been transformed through sustained investment and large-scale infrastructure works. Today, it stands as a fourth-generation city built for year-round activity, economic vitality, and regional connectivity, one of the mega infrastructure projects transforming the landscape of Egypt in the last ten years.

As Egypt also prepares to host the annual conference of Egyptians abroad in August, it is worth remembering that in 1963 the African summit expressed “deep concern” for communities of African origin living outside the continent, an early recognition of the diaspora as a political constituency. This prefigures the European Union’s later conceptualisation of diaspora as a tool of soft power. Its relevance today is less historical than structural. Migrants do not simply leave one society and enter another; they inhabit transnational networks that blur borders. Diaspora communities are living infrastructures—moving culture, ideas, labour and capital across systems still treated as separate, yet are in practice inseparable.

The proximity of Europe and Africa’s commemorative dates and post-war projects points to substantive, not merely symbolic, convergence. It reflects a reality in which Africa and Europe are increasingly enmeshed across shared strategic, economic, and human networks. The question is no longer whether they are connected, but whether political frameworks and concrete policies are evolving quickly enough to manage that interdependence fairly. The challenge ahead is as much political and strategic as it is institutional. African states must remain vigilant about how representation, development, and security arrangements are structured within this integrated region, while Europe must engage Africa as a full geopolitical partner rather than treating it as a peripheral concern. Only then can interdependence thrive on genuinely mutual terms.

Nadine Loza is a development strategist, opinion columnist, and Founding Director of the Egypt Diaspora Initiative.

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Held under the theme “IA SPIRIT: India-Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience, and Inclusive Transformation,” the summit is expected to mark a new phase in India–Africa cooperation, with discussions centred on trade, investment, digital transformation, sustainability, and inclusive economic development.

The summit programme will begin with a Senior Officials Meeting on May 28, followed by the India–Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on May 29. Several parallel events are also scheduled, including the India–Africa Business Dialogue and Exhibition, a Track 2 Dialogue bringing together think tanks and policy experts, and the India-Africa Music and Dance Festival.

The upcoming gathering comes more than a decade after the previous summit held in 2015 and reflects the rapid expansion of India-Africa relations in recent years. Bilateral trade between India and African countries reached approximately $82bn in 2024-25, recording annual growth of 17%, driven by strong demand for petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, chemicals, and fertilisers.

India has also emerged as one of Africa’s largest investors, with cumulative investments exceeding $80bn across sectors including renewable energy, mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and oil and gas.

As part of its broader diplomatic outreach, India has significantly expanded its diplomatic footprint across the continent, increasing the number of resident missions in Africa from 29 to 46 through the establishment of 17 new embassies and diplomatic missions in recent years.

Indian officials describe the partnership as one built on equality, mutual respect, and development cooperation, with growing emphasis on technology-driven solutions and capacity building in sectors such as healthcare, education, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and skills development.

India has extended more than $10bn in Lines of Credit to over 40 African countries and provided nearly $700m in grant assistance. Thousands of African students and professionals have also benefited from scholarships and technical training programmes through initiatives including the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) and the India-Africa Maitri Scheme.

Technology and digital transformation are expected to feature prominently during the summit, as India seeks to position itself as a development partner capable of delivering scalable and affordable digital solutions. Officials point to India’s experience in digital public infrastructure, fintech, artificial intelligence, and innovation as areas with strong potential for collaboration across African markets.

Healthcare cooperation has also become a major pillar of the relationship. India currently supplies a substantial share of generic medicines and antiretroviral drugs used across Africa and has partnered with several African countries to establish hospitals, diagnostic centres, and vaccine manufacturing facilities.

Egypt is expected to play a prominent role in discussions on future India-Africa cooperation. Indian officials have described Egypt as a key strategic partner and a gateway to Africa, citing expanding collaboration in trade, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, and industrial development.

The summit is also expected to strengthen coordination between India and African nations on issues including global governance reform, climate justice, and advancing the interests of the Global South within international institutions.

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The donation, facilitated by Romanian authorities, aims to strengthen academic excellence programmes in fields essential to the sustainable development of the African continent. The embassy noted that further avenues of cooperation, including in the area of cybersecurity, may be explored in the future depending on the university’s needs.

The initiative marks the symbolic May 9 inauguration of the new campus, an event attended by Egyptian President Abdelfattah El Sisi, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Romania’s Ambassador to Egypt and President of the Francophone Ambassadors Group (GAAF), Olivia Toderean. Built by the Egyptian state, the new facility is designed to support the expansion of Senghor University’s academic activities and double its student capacity over the coming years.

The equipment donation echoes the bilateral relations between Romania and Egypt, which will celebrate 120 years in 2026, and reflects Romania’s decision to support the campus built with Egyptian state resources. It also aligns with the country’s strategic framework, “Romania – Africa: A Partnership for the Future through Peace, Development and Education.”

Romania, which has become the seventh-largest financial contributor to the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), views international development cooperation among Francophone countries as a key priority. Romanian authorities have stated their goal of strengthening the academic, scientific, and economic dimensions of the Francophonie as drivers of sustainable development and stability.

In line with this political vision, Romania has reconfirmed its commitment to the Francophonie—with an emphasis on Africa and balanced engagement across all regions—by officially supporting the candidacy of Dacian Cioloș for the position of OIF Secretary-General.

“I am grateful for this contribution to the education of the new generations of African elites,” said Cioloș, a current presidential adviser and candidate for the OIF leadership. “Romania is proving, once more, that we can bring together our strengths and energies, beyond borders and continents, in support of a shared vision of a flourishing Francophonie, with Africa at its heart and with the engagement of all regions.”

Răzvan Mureșan, Director of Global Corporate Communications at Bitdefender, highlighted the company’s involvement.

“For 25 years, supporting education and academic initiatives has been a constant priority for Bitdefender,” Mureșan said. “We believe that investing in the next generation of talent is essential for building a more secure and resilient digital future, and we are proud to contribute to institutions such as Senghor University in Alexandria that are shaping tomorrow’s leaders.”

Senghor University was founded following the 1989 Senegal Summit as a direct operator of the Francophonie dedicated to African development. The institution currently welcomes students from more than 20 African countries, as well as from Haiti and the Indian Ocean region. It offers master’s programmes in health, management, environment, and culture, alongside professional specialisation programmes in sustainable development, aiming to train future African decision-makers and drivers of change.

Cioloș, whose candidacy was officially launched by the President of Romania, previously served as Prime Minister of Romania from 2015 to 2017, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development from 2010 to 2014, and President of the Renew Europe Political Group in the European Parliament. A Francophone by education, he graduated from the École nationale supérieure agronomique de Rennes and holds a postgraduate degree (DEA) from Montpellier. He is acknowledged for his experience in multilateral negotiations, agricultural policy, food security, and his ability to build compromise in complex political and institutional contexts.

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