GENES II, an acronym for “Mobility for Plant Genomics Scholars to Accelerate Climate-Smart Adaptation Options and Food Security in Africa II”, is an intra-Africa academic mobility project co-funded by the European Union. The second edition of the project (2024–2027) is implemented by six collaborating higher education institutions (HEIs).

Participating Institutions

• Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria – Coordinating HEI
• University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin (West Africa)
• Jimma University, Ethiopia
• Egerton University, Kenya (Eastern Africa)
• North-West University & University of Zimbabwe (Southern Africa)
• Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands (Technical Partner)

Project Objectives

• Train 64 African scientists (12 PhDs, 32 MSc, 10 trainees, and 10 staff) in genomic and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to accelerate crop improvement for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
• Enhance the entrepreneurial skills of beneficiaries in agribusiness and enterprise management to improve graduate employability.
• Harmonize MSc and PhD training programmes and research agendas on the application of genomic and digital technologies for crop improvement.
• Promote national, regional, and global collaboration to advance climate change research and training for improved food security in Africa.

Target Groups

The project targets four groups: PhD scholars, MSc scholars, trainees (BSc, MSc, or PhD students), and staff exchange participants. These groups are categorized as:

• Target Group 1 (TG1): Applicants who graduated from participating HEIs.
• Target Group 2 (TG2): Applicants from other African universities outside the participating HEIs.

Implementation Structure

To achieve its objectives, the project is organized into work packages, each managed by one or more partner HEIs. Every participating HEI establishes a Local Management Unit (LMU) responsible for overseeing project activities and ensuring effective implementation at the institutional level.