About Innaque

Why INNAQUE?

Universities in Egypt and South Africa offer strong environmental and earth sciences programmes, but many remain heavily theory-oriented and not fully aligned with fast-changing labour market needs. At the same time, aquatic ecosystems in both regions face growing pressure from pollution, climate change, extreme events and invasive species, creating an urgent demand for professionals who can design and implement sustainable, nature-based responses. INNAQUE addresses these gaps by enhancing curricula, strengthening teaching capacity and fostering international cooperation around aquatic ecosystem resilience.

Main aim of the project

The main aim of INNAQUE is to improve the quality and relevance of higher education in aquatic resources management in Egypt and South Africa. The project does this by designing and implementing the AquaSMART Bachelor programme, upgrading laboratories and digital tools, and supporting staff and student mobility so that graduates acquire the competencies needed to work across environmental, industrial, agricultural, health and policy sectors.

What INNAQUE will achieve

• Develop and accredit an interdisciplinary AquaSMART BSc programme integrating aquatic ecosystem management, biotechnology and nature-based solutions.
  
• Modernise curricula and teaching methods through competence-based design, active learning, digital tools and quality assurance.
  
• Build the capacity of academic and administrative staff via targeted training, mentoring and exchange visits.
  
• Strengthen links between universities, employers, authorities and civil society to align education with labour market and societal needs.
  
• Promote inclusive, equitable and gender-sensitive participation in the new programme and related activities.

Who INNAQUE is for

• Undergraduate students in Egypt and South Africa seeking careers related to water, environment, climate and sustainability.
  
• Academic, technical and administrative staff involved in curriculum design, teaching, quality assurance and student support.
  
• Build the capacity of academic and administrative staff via targeted training, mentoring and exchange visits.
  
• Employers and stakeholders from environmental agencies, industry, agriculture, health, energy, NGOs and local communities.
  
• Policymakers and higher education authorities interested in evidence-based reforms and new models of cooperation.

Where INNAQUE works

INNAQUE is implemented by a consortium of seven universities from three EU Member States and two partner countries. Activities and pilot implementations are centred in Egypt and South Africa, supported by expertise from institutions in Italy, Greece and Slovenia, and are designed to generate models and resources that can be adapted in other regions.

• Egypt
  Alexandria University; King Salman International University
  
• South Africa
  University of South Africa; University of Fort Hare
  
• European Union
  University of Palermo; University of the Aegean; Euro-Mediterranean University
  

Timeline and main results

36 months

INNAQUE runs for 36 months and is structured into five work packages covering management, development, capacity building, quality assurance and dissemination. By the end of the project, the consortium will have an accredited AquaSMART curriculum, a collaborative digital platform, updated laboratories, trained staff, mobility schemes, and a full set of teaching materials, reports and guidelines that support long-term use and replication.