SIMAD University has secured participation in the PESA Project – Promoting and Empowering Entrepreneurship for Sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa, a new Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project focused on strengthening entrepreneurship education, digital learning, employability, and innovation across Somali universities.

The 36-month project responds to important gaps within Somalia’s higher education sector, including limited access to structured entrepreneurship education, insufficient digital and innovation infrastructure, and weak links between academic learning, mentorship, and practical entrepreneurial opportunities. PESA seeks to address these challenges through a more practical and locally relevant approach to entrepreneurship education.

A central component of the project will be the development of an entrepreneurship curriculum tailored to the Somali context, with practical and learner-centred content that participating universities can integrate into their academic programmes. The project will also strengthen faculty capacity, expand digital learning, provide entrepreneurship training and mentorship, and promote closer engagement between universities and the private sector.

A National Platform for Entrepreneurship and Higher Education Development

SIMAD University will serve as the lead Somali institution in the project. Through SIMAD iLab, the University’s innovation and entrepreneurship hub the University will host and operate the Digital Transformation Hub and coordinate key activities among the Somali partners. The Hub will support digital and hybrid learning, entrepreneurship education, mentoring, and collaboration among participating institutions.

PESA brings together SIMAD University, Galmudug State University, Baidoa International University, Kismayo University, Puntland State University, and Hiiraan University, bringing universities from the Federal Member States and Banadir into a shared national initiative. SomX also participates as a Somali non-academic partner, contributing expertise in digital learning and technology.

The wider consortium includes universities and organisations from Türkiye, Italy, and Spain, with Anadolu University, Türkiye, serving as project coordinator. International partners contribute expertise in digital education, entrepreneurship, curriculum development, learning technologies, and professional training, while Somali partners provide the local knowledge and institutional reach needed to ensure that project activities respond to the country’s context and priorities.

PESA is closely aligned with Somalia’s National Transformation Plan, particularly its priorities related to human capital development, youth employment, skills development, private-sector growth, and digital transformation. The project also contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Quality Education, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, and Partnerships for the Goals.

Particular attention will be given to young people, women, and groups with fewer opportunities. Entrepreneurship education, mentoring, digital learning, and stronger links with businesses and entrepreneurs are expected to widen access to practical skills and improve the connection between higher education and economic opportunities.

For SIMAD University and its partners, PESA creates a national platform for universities to work together on entrepreneurship, employability, and innovation. It connects Somali institutions with international expertise while strengthening their capacity to provide education that responds more closely to the needs of students, communities, and Somalia’s evolving economy.