The University of the Free State (UFS) is strengthening its footprint on the African continent through its involvement in the European Union-funded Intra-Africa Mobility Programme, MAINSTREAM, which supports postgraduate mobility and collaborative research across partner institutions. As part of this initiative, the UFS is hosting 17 representatives from universities in Togo, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, and Germany from 23 November to 8 December 2025. The visit includes the selection of the next cohort of mobility students for 2026, and a series of engagements aimed at deepening cooperation within the consortium.
Prof Corli Witthuhn from the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development at the UFS, who is coordinating the visit, describes the programme as a purposeful mechanism for fostering academic exchange. “The programme is aimed at encouraging collaboration between universities on the African continent, with a focus on the mobility of doctoral, master’s, and traineeship students,” she explains. “There are also limited mobility opportunities for staff to visit other universities within the consortium.”
Consortium partners and purpose of the visit
The UFS joined the programme in 2024, after which it established structures to host student mobility placements. “We put academic processes in place and selected students for 2025, during which we hosted 10 students. We have selected another nine students to host in 2026,” notes Prof Witthuhn.
Current mobility students at the UFS
The current group of mobility students is placed within the
Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS), contributing to research and training across Agricultural Economics, Sustainable Food Systems and Development, Soil, Crop, and Climate Sciences, Animal Sciences, and Zoology.
Traineeships (three months):
Master’s students (six months):
Doctoral students (twelve months):
Prof Witthuhn highlights the value of hosting these students. “The students enjoyed their stay at the UFS. In fact, they are all looking for additional funding to return to the UFS!” she says.
Programme impact and emerging opportunities
The mobility programme continues to benefit the UFS academically and culturally. “They contributed to teaching, research, and the exposure of our staff and students to international students,” Prof Witthuhn explains. Through these exchanges, collaboration among consortium universities has expanded, supporting co-publication, teaching contributions, and deeper engagement between academic teams.
The initiative also extends to staff mobility. “There are staff exchange opportunities for UFS staff to any of the partner universities in 2026,” she confirms.
As the consortium selects its next cohort of students, the visit provides space to reflect on the programme’s progress and the strengthening of academic relationships within the partnership. The UFS’ continued participation supports continued engagement with institutions across Africa and Europe, opening further opportunities for research collaboration, student development, and academic mobility.