The World Bank, the European Union and the African Development Bank are supporting Angola’s universities through programmes focused on infrastructure quality, faculty and student development, scholarships, research funding and the creation of postgraduate courses. Combined support from the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union (EU) has already surpassed USD 300 million, in an effort ranging from scholarships to the development of laboratories, technology parks and university digital networks.
The largest programme currently underway is TEST (Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Project), financed by the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education, with USD 200 million allocated for the 2024–2028 period.
The project falls under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation and is primarily focused on modernising Angola’s public university system. TEST resources are being invested across several fronts. One of them is the allocation of STEAM scholarships (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), considered critical areas for economic diversification.
According to programme data, more than 69,000 students have already benefited, while the total number of beneficiaries is expected to exceed 180,000. But the project goes beyond scholarships. One of its most strategic components is the implementation of AngoREN, the National Research and Education Network (see previous edition), which aims to connect Angolan universities to a global scientific platform, enabling access to high-speed internet, digital libraries, anti-plagiarism systems and international research cooperation.
Another important component of TEST is the Results-Based Agreements (RBA) model, a mechanism that links financial disbursement to the achievement of institutional targets. Six higher education institutions are already part of this system, in an attempt to introduce a stronger culture of performance and accountability in the sector.
The second-largest financial package comes from the African Development Bank through the Science and Technology Development Project (PDCT), valued at USD 100 million, of which USD 90 million is financed by the AfDB and only USD 10 million by the Angolan State.
Implemented between 2016 and 2026, the PDCT focuses mainly on scientific research and the creation of laboratory infrastructure. Among its flagship initiatives is the construction of the Luanda Science and Technology Park, regarded as one of the government’s key bets to bring universities, innovation and the business sector closer together.
The programme has also financed 60 science laboratories, supported 73 scientific research projects, awarded 161 postgraduate STEM scholarships and trained more than 1,000 teachers.
In addition, it funded more than 1,000 scholarships for vulnerable secondary school girls, in an effort to increase female participation in scientific fields.
Source: Expansão
