Individual Consultant, Campus Africa Programme (ROEA)

UNESCO

Overview

UNESCO’s Regional Office for Eastern Africa (ROEA), based in Nairobi, implements the Campus Africa Programme, a continental initiative aimed at transforming higher education across Africa to drive inclusive development, innovation, and regional integration. In Eastern Africa, the Programme focuses on four interconnected pillars: enhancing research capacity through networking and partnerships; improving relevance through links to employers and skills development; building robust quality assurance systems and fair recognition of qualifications; and strengthening institutional governance and leadership.

Over the 2026-2027 biennium, UNESCO ROEA has prioritised a set of strategically important activities spanning gender-responsive research in applied STEM, AI integration in higher education (including support to the East African Alliance for Digital Skills and AI Research and Innovation (AI for EAC)), social entrepreneurship for student innovators, and recognition of qualifications under the Addis Ababa Convention. These activities require sustained, high-quality technical and programmatic support over an extended period to generate knowledge products, manage partnerships, coordinate evidence generation, and mobilise resources.

UNESCO ROEA therefore seeks to engage a qualified Individual Consultant to support the implementation of the Campus Africa Programme across its pillars and transversal axes, working as part of the UNESCO ROEA Campus Africa team under the direct supervision of the

Education

• Sector Head.

• Long Description

The Individual Consultant will provide technical and programmatic support to UNESCO ROEA for the implementation of the 2026-2027 Campus Africa workplan in Eastern Africa. This covers five discrete work areas drawn directly from the approved workplan:

• finalisation of the “Empowering Women in Applied STEM: Advancing Gender-Responsive Career Services in Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Technology” (hereafter referred to as “Empowering Women in Applied STEM”) research project across selected Anglophone Eastern African countries;
• publication and dissemination of the pilot phase of the same “Empowering Women in Applied STEM” research project, in complementarity with the research and report development led by UNESCO IESALC;
• technical and programmatic support to the

Education

• Track of the East African Alliance for Digital Skills, AI Research and Innovation (AI for EAC);

• strengthening social entrepreneurship skills for student innovators in East Africa; and

• promoting awareness, regional dialogue, and capacity building on recognition of qualifications and the implementation of the Addis Ababa Convention. In addition, the Consultant will provide implementation and coordination support to assigned Campus Africa activities, including drafting of proposals, networking, and workshop participation across the region.

• Scope of Work and Specific Tasks

• The Individual Consultant will work under the authority of the Regional Representative and Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, and under the direct supervision of the

Education

• Unit Head and the Programme Specialist responsible for Campus Africa. The Consultant will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, and may be required to undertake missions in other counties in Kenya to EAC Partner States and other countries in Eastern Africa as required by the programme, subject to UNESCO travel authorisation and provisions.

The Individual Consultant will support the implementation of the following activities as set out in the UNESCO ROEA Campus Africa 2026-2027 Workplan:

• ASSIGNMENTS

The Individual Consultant will support the implementation of the following activities as set out in the UNESCO ROEA Campus Africa 2026-2027 Workplan:

• Pillar 1 – Research Capacity: Finalisation of the “Empowering Women in Applied STEM” Research Project

The Consultant will support completion of the extended research project “Empowering Women in Applied STEM” in the selected Anglophone Eastern African countries (Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Seychelles, and Somalia), in collaboration with UNESCO IESALC. The Consultant will contribute to overall regional consistency and coordination. Tasks include:

• Producing two-page resource mobilisation briefs analysing gender gaps in STEM participation and transition to employment, institutional career and employability services, and key structural, socio-cultural, and labour market barriers for women in STEM, and tailored to the priorities and requirements of identified potential donors.

• Supporting the production of one synthesis report providing comparative analysis, trends, policy gaps, and actionable recommendations for governments and higher education institutions across Anglophone Eastern Africa.

• Coordinating one regional knowledge-sharing webinar to disseminate findings, facilitate peer learning, and engage policymakers, higher education institutions, and partners.

• Supporting at least one LDC in the Eastern Africa region to implement recommendations emerging from the applied STEM research.

• Support the effective mobilization, coordination, and engagement of UNESCO Chairs in the design and implementation of the applied STEM research activities in Eastern Africa region.

• Long Description

• Pillar 1 – Research Capacity: Publication of the Pilot Phase of the “Empowering Women in Applied STEM” Research Project

The Consultant will support proofreading, copy-editing, graphic design coordination, and publication of the ongoing pilot-phase research “Empowering Women in Applied STEM”, covering Ethiopia, Mauritius, Rwanda, and the United Republic of Tanzania, in collaboration with UNESCO IESALC. The consultant will provide complementary editorial, publication, and dissemination support. Tasks include:

• Supporting coordination of the final review and clearance process and incorporation of editorial revisions

• Facilitating communication between the report consultant and UNESCO.

• Coordinating one regional webinar to disseminate the study findings, engage policymakers, higher education institutions, and partners, and facilitate regional dialogue and peer learning.

• Based on the findings and recommendations of the research, supporting the identification and design of potential follow-up interventions to strengthen mentoring, networking, career development, and access to opportunities for female researchers, doctoral candidates, and early-career researchers in STEM, including possible digital and low-tech platforms and databases.

• Contributing to the development of concept notes and funding proposals for selected follow-up interventions, the identification and engagement with potential donors.

• Relevance and Employability: Support to AI for EAC and AI-related Work in Other ROEA Countries

• Relevance and Employability: Support to AI for EAC and AI-related Work in Other ROEA Countries

• The Consultant will provide technical and programmatic support to the

Education

Track of the East African Alliance for Digital Skills, AI Research and Innovation (AI4EAC), while also supporting AI-related higher education initiatives in other countries covered by UNESCO ROEA that are not part of EAC. Tasks include:

• Supporting the review and documentation of the outcomes, lessons learned, and potential follow-up opportunities emerging from the AI4EAC Innovation Challenge.

• Supporting the assessment and mapping of emerging needs, priorities, and capacity gaps related to AI in higher education across countries covered by UNESCO ROEA, and working closely with other sectors within ROEA to ensure coordination and coherence of AI-related work.

• Contributing to the identification and development of strategic programme directions and potential interventions on AI and higher education, building on regional needs, country priorities, UNESCO’s mandate and comparative advantage, and existing initiatives and partnerships.

• Supporting the identification and mapping of potential donors and partners, the development of concept notes, project proposals, and other funding materials for selected AI and higher education initiatives.

• Supporting knowledge exchange and regional dialogue on AI in higher education, including the preparation and facilitation of relevant consultations, workshops, webinars, or technical meetings, as assigned.

• Pillar 3 – Relevance and Employability: Social Entrepreneurship Skills for Student Innovators

• Building on the achievements and lessons of the first phase of the social entrepreneu