From learning to action: 31 public officials, 10 African countries, one shared experience.

Today in Rome, the Executive Master in “Sustainable Development in Africa: Institutional Design and Territorial Planning” reaches its final milestone with the Diploma Awarding Ceremony.

Developed by CIHEAM Bari and the School of Government of Luiss Guido Carli University, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the programme brings together participants fromCôte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, Mozambique, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tunisia and Uganda.

Throughout the programme, officials have enriched their professional competences with new knowledge, practical tools and different methodologies on the challenges of sustainable development. From policy design, governance and public management to territorial planning, sustainable management of natural resources, digitalisation and innovation for rural development, renewable energy and sustainable infrastructures, the Master has connected academic knowledge with the realities professionals face in their daily work.

But the learning goes beyond the classroom. Bringing together professionals from different countries, institutions and sectors creates a space for exchange, comparison and mutual learning. Different experiences become an opportunity to look at common challenges from new angles, while building professional connections and a shared understanding of development across Africa and the Mediterranean.

Today, the participants received their diplomas and also took with them  new perspectives, professional relationships and a stronger capacity to turn ideas into action within their own institutions and communities.

“This graduation is not the end of our journey, but the beginning of our greater responsibility to translate the knowledge attained into action,” says the students’ representative Sewante Muhammad Kaliphan from Uganda.

The programme closed, but the learning continues in the daily work, decisions and initiatives the participants will bring back to their own countries.