Mediterranean Study Trip to Dakar and Banjul 2024
Our students of the Master in Advanced European and International Studies - Mediterranean Studies were recently welcomed by our partner SupdeCo Dakar for a four-week study trip - three weeks in Dakar, Senegal and for the first time ever, one week in Banjul, Gambia. Thanks to our partner, the Med students received a very warm welcome and were able to follow various courses with SupdeCo’s own students - as a truly Senegalese-European cooperation!
During their stay, our students had the unique chance to witness the historic presidential elections on 24 March 2024. They also met several economic and social stakeholders, NGOs and other representatives of the Senegalese civil society.
A round table, co-organised by Groupe SupdeCo Dakar, the EU Delegation to Senegal and CIFE, and chaired by Stéphane Devaux, Yasmine Sy Sarr and Jean-Claude Vérez, tackled the topic of “Education and Training as Preconditions for Development”. The round table was complemented with contributions by Stéphane Contini, Coordinator of the initiative FIT ! Sénégal, Ndogou Sene, Counsellor to the Minister of Vocational Training and Employment, as well as Fanta Diallo, Responsible for Youth Engagement.
Another particular highlight was the visit of the EU Delegation to Senegal and the discussion with its ambassador, Jean-Marc Pisani, and Stéphane Devaux, Head of Unit for Employment and Inclusive Growth. Discussions covered a wide range of subjects, including the various forms of partnership that the EU and its Member States are developing with Senegal through the Global Gateway strategy. Particular attention was paid to questions of education, vocational training and higher education - in a context where the creation of jobs is of utmost priority.
On their visit to Action contre la faim, the students were introduced to the NGO’s work fighting malnutrition and ensuring food security in Senegal. Particular thanks go to its Director Alexandre Devort for taking the time and sharing his experience with the students.
To fully experience and immerse themselves in the culture of the Sub-Saharan nation, our students also took part in a cultural excursion to the Ile de Gorée, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated to commemorating what was once the most significant slave trading hub in Africa.
The students completed their trip with a week in Banjul, Gambia, an English-speaking country in West Africa, where they were once more welcomed by the Gambian representation of SupdeCo.