Cooperation with Sub-Saharan Africa

Tallinn University's School of Digital Technologies welcomes students and researchers from Sub-Saharan Africa to explore opportunities for study, training, and collaboration.

We focus on creating meaningful academic pathways that promote digital skills, educational innovation, and cross-cultural knowledge exchange. Our school offers international degree programmes, short-term initiatives, and tailored support for visiting learners.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Mobility cooperation

Students and staff participate in exchange programmes with partner universities in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Mozambique, including study visits, teaching exchanges, and collaborative initiatives under Erasmus+ and other formats.

• Internships & talent programmes

African students have joined cooperation programmes like Digital Explorers 2.0, gaining real-world experience in Estonia’s digital sector through internships and project-based learning.

• Master’s studies at Tallinn University

We offer English-taught master’s programmes in Human-Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, Digital Learning Games, and Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Societies (AISS).

• PhD collaboration & co-supervision

Our doctoral programmes span areas such as Information Society Technologies, education, and digital learning. We support co-supervision, joint thesis work, and collaborative research.

• Research partnerships

We invite researchers to join ongoing initiatives, contribute to joint publications, and co-develop digital education tools and practices that respond to real-world challenges.

• Interested in applying or collaborating?

Visit our Master’s programmes page or contact us to learn more.

We work with universities and research institutions across Sub-Saharan Africa through long-term, structured cooperation. Our focus is on digital education, institutional strengthening, and the co-creation of innovative teaching and learning approaches.

In recent years, Tallinn University has signed formal Memorandums of Understanding with the University of Ghana and Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique. These agreements strengthen our shared commitment to educational innovation, digital transformation, and academic collaboration.

Our cooperation formats include:

• Co-development of academic programmes

Including fully accredited bachelor’s and master’s degrees in digital fields, developed jointly with institutions such as Universidade Metodista Unida de Moçambique.

• Teacher training and capacity development

Supporting institutions in designing digital strategies and building pedagogical capacity — such as through our cooperation with Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Kyambogo University.

• Digital transformation of education systems

Supporting partner universities with strategic planning, digital maturity assessments, and roadmap development for technology adoption.

• Research cooperation and innovation centres

Engaging in interdisciplinary research in UX design, AI for education, and digital learning. Notably, this includes the co-establishment of the Centre of Excellence in Digital Technologies in Educational Innovation (DiTEI) in Ghana.

• Project-based collaboration and grant partnerships

Joint project development under Erasmus+, Estonian Centre for International Development (EstDev), and other international funding schemes.

• Interested in working together?

Contact our coordination team to explore possibilities.

See below for selected examples of cooperation in action.

Our development cooperation is built on practical collaboration with African institutions, grounded in shared goals and sustained engagement. Our initiatives evolve through long-term relationships, responding to national contexts and local needs.

We focus on key areas where digital technologies can strengthen education systems and enable inclusive innovation. The visual below provides an overview of our current collaboration landscape, highlighting thematic areas and countries where we are actively engaged.

The following section presents selected examples of ongoing cooperation, organised by country.

Ghana

Partner institutions and organisations:
University of Ghana, University of Education Winneba, University of Cape Coast

Projects:

• Centre of Excellence in Digital Technologies in Educational Innovation (DiTEI)

Established in 2024 as a joint initiative between Tallinn University and the University of Ghana, DiTEI serves as a hub for applied research, teacher training, and digital innovation. It supports national goals under Ghana’s Vision 2057 and contributes to broader African and European cooperation agendas.
 

Kenya

Partner institutions and organisations:
Riara University, Strathmore University, Education Deans’ Forum–Kenya, Estonian Centre for International Development

Projects:

• Digital Pedagogy Development Programme for Teacher Educators

This programme strengthens digital pedagogical skills among teacher educators, focusing on learner-centred teaching and the meaningful integration of technology. It includes training workshops, mentoring, and the co-creation of locally relevant learning materials.

• Digital Explorers 2.0 – Talent Cooperation Programme

A European Union-supported initiative that offers young ICT professionals from Kenya internships, mentoring, and digital skills training in Estonia. The programme supports long-term talent development and cross-cultural collaboration between the two regions.

Read more here
 

Uganda

Partner institutions and organisations:
Kyambogo University, Ministry of Education and Sports, NGO Mondo (Estonia)

Projects:

• Digital Transformation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

A national initiative to modernise Uganda’s vocational education sector through institutional digital maturity assessments, the development of new pedagogical models, and extensive teacher training. All activities are closely aligned with Uganda’s education strategy and led in partnership with national institutions like Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports.
 

Mozambique

Partner institutions and organisations:
Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Universidade Metodista Unida de Moçambique, The World Bank

Projects:

• Roadmapping the Digital Transformation of Universidade Eduardo Mondlane

This forward-looking initiative supports the university in defining its digital transformation strategy through maturity assessments, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building across five provinces.

• Capacity Building in Digital Participatory Design

A long-standing collaboration with the Informatics Center of Universidade Eduardo Mondlane to co-create digital tools that are inclusive, context-aware, and rooted in local realities. The project aims to improve how development projects are designed and implemented, particularly in underserved areas.

• Informatics Programmes at Universidade Metodista Unida de Moçambique

A collaboration to establish nationally accredited Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes in Informatics. These programmes, offered both online and face-to-face, aim to increase access to quality higher education in southern Mozambique and to build strong local teaching capacity.
 

Cabo Verde

Partner institutions and organisations:
The University of Cabo Verde, African Forum on Research and Innovation (FARI)

Projects:

• Participatory Design for Child and Adolescent Protection

A multi-stakeholder initiative that applies inclusive design methodologies to strengthen services for children and youth. The project focuses on co-creating digital tools and solutions for child protection that are grounded in local needs and practices.
 

Africa-Wide

Projects:

• AfriCHI – The Africa Human-Computer Interaction Conference

A biennial conference that unites researchers, designers, and practitioners working across African contexts to advance user-centred technology design. Tallinn University has participated since 2016 and co-organised several editions, including the 2021 conference in Maputo, Mozambique. University researchers continue to lead workshops, including for the upcoming 2025 edition in Cairo.