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Sciences Po and Sub-Saharan Africa
For more than 15 years, Africa has been a priority area for Sciences Po’s international strategy, seeing the development of new initiatives aimed at the continent. Sciences Po now sends the highest number of students to study abroad in Africa of any university in France.
In addition, Sciences Po is one of the European universities with the greatest number of active partnerships in Africa, and the only university in continental Europe to partner with the Mastercard Foundation.
The social science curriculum at Sciences Po touches on all the major challenges facing Africa today: climate disruption and ecology, economic development, the digital revolution, urban environments, security issues, cultural and creative industries, etc.
Finally, Sciences Po has a particularly active alumni network in the continent.
Sciences Po's partners in Africa
Sciences Po has developed partnerships with 24 universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. These provide for student exchange programmes in 11 countries, as well as visiting research positions and professorships.
Among its partners in the region, Sciences Po has formed special relationships with certain universities, including the University of Cape Town in South Africa, Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal, Ashesi University in Ghana and Strathmore University in Kenya.
Sciences Po also collaborates with African partners within the U7+ alliance, whose members include five universities in the continent: UCAD in Senegal, UM6P in Morocco, INPHB in Côte d'Ivoire, Ibadan University in Nigeria and Ashesi University in Ghana. These five universities are motivated by a shared desire to incorporate specifically African issues within the global alliance, which they have achieved via a working group organising workshops on gender equality, inclusion and educational innovation.
Sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly popular as an exchange destination for our students, with around 40 Sciences Po students spending two semesters in the region every year. Ghana, Kenya and South Africa are the African countries typically receiving the highest number of students on their third year abroad.
Academic programmes relating to Africa
- At undergraduate level, the Africa Minor taught on our Reims Campus is a bilingual interdisciplinary programme in the social sciences and humanities, focusing on the continent of Africa and issues specific to it. 40% of students enrolled in the programme come from Africa.
- Several Master’s programmes offer courses or tracks focusing on Africa within broader subject areas (human rights, international relations, public affairs, urban studies, public health, finance, economics, development, security, etc.):
- The Africa specialisation at the School of Research (Master’s in Political Science, Major in Comparative Politics)
- The African Studies regional concentration at the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA)
- The Cities of Africa track at the Urban School
Research
The Centre for International Studies (CERI) at Sciences Po coordinates various research initiatives relating to Africa: The Africa: Citizenship, Violence and Politics research group, the Social and Political Life of Identity Papers in in Africa (PIAF) research programme and the academic journal Politique Africaine.
The Médialab at Sciences Po has several research projects on social media in Africa.
Finally, several research projects on the subject of sustainable economies in Africa are hosted within the Department of Economics at Sciences Po.
Executive Education
With the help of region-specific resources, Sciences Po Executive Education has developed a range of programmes aimed at public and private sector leaders, managers and executives in Africa.
Strategic projects
Sciences Po has a permanent representative office in Nairobi, Kenya. This office steers our international activities in the region: working to promote Sciences Po in the best high schools and universities, supporting our students studying abroad, maintaining relationships with Kenyan public authorities and commercial actors, fundraising, coordinating alumni relations etc.
The only scholarship of its kind in continental Europe, this scheme was launched with the support of the Mastercard Foundation. It funds talented students from Sub-Saharan Africa to study at Sciences Po.
- Created in 2006 by a group of ambitious students on the Sciences Po Paris Campus, the Sciences Po Association for Africa (ASPA) (Fr) works to promote the continent of Africa in all its diversity throughout the university and the wider student community.
- The Sciences Po Alumni Africa Circle is particularly active, and helps to connect former, current and future Sciences Po students throughout Europe and Africa.
Key figures
24
University partnerships in 11 countries
350
students from Sub-Saharan Africa at Sciences Po every year
+40
nationalities
40
Sciences Po students studying abroad and 140 on an internship in the region every year
10 %
of recent graduates employed abroad work in Sub-Saharan Africa
