New project: Greening Ethiopia – Towards a more climate responsive higher education system in support of sustainable agriculture and energy in Ethiopia

Under the coordination of Maastricht School of Management (MSM) – Maastricht University (UM), the new Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Higher Education project “Greening Ethiopia” , will empower higher education for a climate responsive future.

The four-year project aims to strengthen the role of Ethiopian universities as key agents in driving the country’s green transition. By enhancing higher education policies, improving institutional sustainability, and modernizing curricula in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy, Greening Ethiopia contributes directly to Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy and the EU’s Global Gateway priorities.

Through close collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Education (MoE) and four leading universities, Assosa University, Bahir Dar University, Haramaya University, and Mekelle University, the project will help embed sustainability principles into university operations, research, and teaching. European partners include Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy) and the International Hellenic University (Greece), both bringing valuable expertise in sustainability certification, smart farming, and renewable energy education.

As project coordinator, MSM-UM will lead the overall management and quality assurance of the project, ensuring strong coordination across all work packages and partners. MSM will also guide the development of the sustainability assessment framework, support curriculum innovation through problem-based learning approaches, and lead the project’s communication, dissemination and impact strategy. building on more than two decades of experience in ethiopia and africa in higher education capacity development, leadership, entrepreneurship and sustainable agribusiness, MSM will ensure that project outcomes are effectively implemented, communicated and sustained beyond the project’s lifetime.

Key project components include:

• Sustainability assessment and policy support: developing sustainability assessment frameworks and policy guidelines for greening higher education institutions
• Curriculum and staff development: revising master’s modules in climate-smart agriculture and renewable energy, and training faculty to use problem-based learning (PBL) and e-learning tools.
• Applied research: launching interdisciplinary research on climate-smart agriculture and energy applications, with knowledge feeding back into teaching.
• Innovation platforms and entrepreneurship: establishing regional platforms that connect universities, government and industry, and supporting student and graduate start-ups in green sectors.
• Inclusive outreach: engaging youth, women and rural communities through targeted skills training and community activities.

By combining policy reform, academic innovation, and community engagement, Greening Ethiopia seeks to create a sustainable higher education ecosystem that supports Ethiopia’s green economy and long-term development goals.

This project will be led by Project Director Dr. Ir.Huub L.M.Mudde and Project Manager Ms. Veerle Barten. The project runs for 48 months (start January 2026) and is co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme (Strand 3 – Structural Reform Projects).

This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

MSM's Expert Centre on Emerging Economies

This institutional collaboration project is part of MSM's Expert Centre on Emerging Economies. The department is an expert centre on sustainable private sector development in emerging and developing markets.​ We capacitate managers and professionals from government, private sector, NGOs, and post-secondary education in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Latin America. We offer consultancy and customized training programs, and we manage complex projects in key sectors, e.g. water, agriculture and health. For more information click here.

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