Enabel and Hogeschool VIVES join forces to strengthen education and health care in Ukraine and East Africa

On Friday 28 November 2025, Enabel and VIVES University of Applied Sciences entered into a partnership to strengthen education and health care in Ukraine and East Africa.

The partnership builds on the framework cooperation agreement signed earlier this year and heralds a new chapter in Belgium’s contribution to international solidarity and reconstruction.

“This agreement allows us to leverage top Belgian expertise to address pressing needs in education and health care. This partnership combines Enabel’s expertise in international cooperation with VIVES’ academic innovation and is conducive to impactful programmes in challenging contexts,” says Jean Van Wetter, general manager of Enabel.

“We are extremely pleased that Enabel recognises and wants to leverage VIVES’ hands-on expertise in education and research. This partnership fits perfectly with our policy on global engagement and strategic international partnerships,” says Mathias Malfrere, director education policy and valorisation at VIVES.

Ukraine

The partnership will focus on developing training programmes in key areas such as speech therapy, nursing, education and other disciplines. Actually, a two-year master’s degree in speech therapy has already started in Ukraine, a course that was not offered there until recently. Activities include organising online training sessions and training of trainers (TOT) initiatives to build local capacity. In addition, the partnership will support alignment with European education standards to ensure quality and sustainability.

In the education sector, the agreement aims to develop a hybrid training programme – a combination of online and face-to-face learning – to improve vocational teachers’ skills and establish centres of professional excellence.

Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania

In Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, the partnership between Enabel and VIVES will explore the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in lower secondary education. The initiative aims to provide technical and pedagogical support for using GenAI as a tool for teachers, enriching the learning experience without replacing teachers. It is expected that implementing partners will become familiar with AI in education and VIVES experts will gain a thorough understanding of the local context and digital challenges. In August 2025, teachers from VIVES travelled to Uganda and Tanzania to start this integration of AI in education.