Dear group members,

We are happy to launch this new space for collaboration and exchange of experiences about Higher Education, especially for the staff working in EU Delegations. From 2015, the ERASMUS+ programme is able to support capacity-building and credit mobility for ACP countries, so want this group to be a major collaboration and discussion forum to support colleagues in these countries especially.

Through collaboration between DG DEVCO (International Cooperation and Development) and DG EAC (Education and Culture) , we are very keen on providing useful information to our Delegation colleagues about programmes related to Higher Education and giving the support and resources required to make the best use of these programmes to the common development objectives that we all share.

The main objectives of this group are to:

• Provide basic information on Higher Education initiatives by region and by programme
• Have a space where delegations can share and look for resources e.g. about organising events and exploring Higher Education support programmes.
• Create easily accessible ways to clarify questions, share problems and obtain practical support.

In the next weeks we will be updating the group with new pages and resources. Some ideas for the information we aim to include here are:

• Region information pages: each page will have information about the region, FAQ and fiches on the different Higher Education opportunities under ERASMUS+, including Capacity building and Mobility.
• Resources to organise events: we want to have space inside the group, where we can share resources about the organisation of events to promote Higher Education opportunities. We count on you to share your experiences about the organisation of events in your countries and collaborate with colleagues around the world to make the best of each other’s experience
• Peer-to-peer helpdesk: We would like to provide you support to address any problems or doubts you might have. In this space, we intend to publish videos, relevant documents and reply to your questions and concerns. Besides, we would also like that group members from each region could provide support to make sure that these questions are addressed.

Explore! Get involved! Give your input!

Take a “tour” in the group and see the resources and announcements already available! On 30 June, DG DEVCO will organise a conference about Higher Education – see more details in “events”. Check the videos, blogs and other information already available.

We welcome your suggestions about themes you would like to be covered in this group, resources you would like to access, questions you would like to clarify, etc. Check the blog: “Suggestions for the group” and leave your comment.