The University for Development Studies (UDS) has assumed a leading communications role in the European Union-sponsored MANDELA Project, a multinational initiative designed to promote intercultural understanding, negotiation, cultural diplomacy and multilateral education across Africa, Europe and the Levant.

The MANDELA Project, fully known as Multilateralism through Negotiation and Cultural Diplomacy Education in the Levant and Africa, brings together partner institutions from different regions to strengthen teaching, research and institutional collaboration in areas critical to peaceful coexistence, international cooperation and global citizenship.

Since the official online launch of the project on November 11, 2025, UDS has participated actively in all major consortium engagements and has made significant contributions to the project’s governance, faculty capacity-building activities and communications rollout.

Representatives of UDS participated in the consortium’s kick-off engagement in Cologne, where partner institutions discussed project work packages, financial management procedures, training workshops and strategies for institutional collaboration.

Between February and March 2026, faculty members from UDS took part in four intensive online training sessions delivered under the project. The sessions equipped participants with new teaching, research and engagement methodologies in intercultural understanding, values-based education, conflict resolution, negotiation and cultural diplomacy.

The training areas included Values and Knowledge Education, a pedagogical approach that combines ethical reasoning, critical thinking and values-based learning; COPOWER Conflict Resolution, an evidence-based framework for conflict transformation in intercultural settings; Game Changers Negotiation and COIL Course Design, which focused on Collaborative Online International Learning and how students from partner countries can jointly participate in courses through digital platforms; and Cultural Diplomacy, which explored strategies for strengthening intercultural dialogue and global cooperation.

One of the University’s most notable contributions to the MANDELA Project has been in the area of communications and dissemination. UDS led the development and coordination of the consortium-wide communications package announcing the successful completion of the Online Training of Trainers Edition of EU Best Practices for Intercultural Understanding, which was published on March 6, 2026.

The communications campaign highlighted the successful completion of four EU best-practice training sessions, the participation of 36 faculty members from Ghana, Ethiopia and Israel, and the next phase of the project, which includes face-to-face training activities in Romania.

As part of efforts to maximise visibility and stakeholder engagement, UDS produced tailored communication materials for publication across the consortium’s website and social media platforms. The University also contributed to the establishment of a structured reporting system to support the tracking of project outputs, target audiences, outcomes and follow-up actions across partner institutions.

The growing role of UDS in the MANDELA Project reflects the University’s commitment to internationalisation, development-oriented education and global academic partnerships. It also reinforces the University’s position as a strategic partner in initiatives that promote peacebuilding, intercultural dialogue, diplomacy, innovation in teaching and inclusive knowledge exchange.

With its faculty members now trained and its communications role firmly established, UDS is expected to participate in the next phase of the project, which will include face-to-face training activities and the translation of lessons learned into teaching, research and student engagement on campus.

The University’s involvement in the MANDELA Project is also expected to create new opportunities for staff and students to engage with international partners, participate in cross-cultural academic experiences and contribute to the promotion of peaceful cooperation across diverse societies.

For further information about UDS’s role in the MANDELA Project, interested persons may contact the UDS International Relations and Advancement Directorate.

The MANDELA Project, Multilateralism through Negotiation and Cultural Diplomacy Education in the Levant and Africa, was launched on November 11, 2025. It brings together institutions from Europe, Africa and the Levant to promote intercultural understanding, negotiation, cultural diplomacy and multilateral education. UDS’s contributions to the project so far include consortium governance, faculty capacity-building, project communications and dissemination support.

Story by:
Bukari Ayuba
UDS Media