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They led a series of lectures and doctoral courses at the universities of Jimma, Gondar, Addis Ababa and Hawassa and, together with their partners, mapped the needs of institutions in the area of ​​supporting disadvantaged students – these are representatives of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (UWB), who set off for Ethiopia at the end of August. „Africa is a pool of talents and opportunities not only for research, but also for building local capacities," said Jiří Preis from the Faculty of Economics (FEK). Together with him, Jan Záhořík from the Faculty of Arts (FF) and Jan Šiška from the Faculty of Education (FPE) visited the headquarters of the African Union and the university.

 „ A student with a disability in Ethiopia is disadvantaged twice. Primarily by their own disability, whether physical, sensory or otherwise, and secondarily by negative social prejudices. The result is, among other things, low expectations about the possibilities of involving a graduate with a disability in the work process," explained Jan Šiška. The project under preparation responds to both. „Our goal is to contribute to creating a "welcoming" environment both in terms of eliminating negative prejudices and, for example, improving the technical accessibility of the workplace for graduates with disabilities," he added.

One of the trip's goals was to prepare a new Erasmus+ capacity-building project. It will be established as a partnership of four European and four Ethiopian universities and is intended to improve the employability of graduates in the labour market. „Among other things, we are finding out what changes have occurred in this area since my time at the Ethiopian Ministry of Education," said Jan Šiška.

The experts also collected data for their urban planning and development research in Ethiopia. „One of our main topics is the transformation of metropolises and their importance for the region's future," added Jan Záhořík. In Addis Ababa, the team also visited the African Union headquarters, which plays a key role in supporting regional development.

UWB also cooperates on specific activities with Ghent University, which is involved in hundreds of projects focused on Africa. „This cooperation opens the door for us to broader international consortia and simultaneously brings inspiration for our other projects," added Jan Záhořík.

The University of West Bohemia currently has several projects available within the Erasmus+ credit mobility program. These enable trips for academics and students and expand the possibilities of international cooperation. „The potential of partnerships with African universities is so great that we should not leave it unnoticed," concluded Jiří Preis.