FCT – Aga Khan Development Network

Science and Technology Cooperation Program between the Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation and the Ismaili Imamat

In light of the growing diplomatic relationship between the Portuguese Republic and the Ismaili Imamat and their shared objectives regarding the promotion and strengthening of scientific expertise and capabilities within a framework of sustained international cooperation, the Cooperation Protocol (PT – ENG) between the Portuguese Ministry of Science and Immat Ismaili on Science and Technology, with a duration of 10 years.

The aim was, through this protocol, to establish a joint initiative aimed at strengthening academic, scientific, and technological cooperation with developing countries and regions. This would be achieved through scientific capacity-building focused on promising researchers with recognized expertise, addressing current topics of global importance, promoting multidisciplinary collaboration, and ensuring sufficient financial resources and duration to enable an effective impact in these countries and regions.

In February 2026, a new Cooperation Protocol (PT and ENG) was signed, renewing the partnership that began in 2016 and which resulted in two Calls that supported 37 international projects carried out by Portuguese and African teams.

This new phase of the partnership aims to deepen academic, scientific, and technological collaboration with developing countries and regions, promoting the strengthening of research capacity, particularly through the use of AI tools and other technologies. The Protocol is aimed at promising, established researchers, addressing current topics of global relevance and encouraging multidisciplinary collaboration, while also providing resources in sufficient quantity and for a sufficient duration to foster a more significant impact in the participating countries and regions.

The actions outlined in the protocol are implemented by FCT, representing the Portuguese Ministry of Science, and by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), representing the Ismaili Imamat.

Through this partnership, and under the protocol, FCT and AKDN have already launched two Calls proposals for joint projects:

1st Call for the submission of proposals for Joint Projects

Sixteen projects were supported with a joint investment from FCT and AKDN of around €4.6 million, involving institutions from eight African countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, São Tomé and Príncipe, and South Africa. The Call, launched in 2017, was aimed exclusively at existing initiatives and ongoing collaborations between scientific and academic institutions in the PALOP countries and Portuguese scientific and academic research institutions, with the aim of contributing to the development and expansion of ongoing initiatives that help to consolidate research capacities in these African countries.

The project presentation brochure is available here.

The 16 projects were monitored by an External Monitoring and Review Panel (ESRP), a panel of experts with recognized experience in Quality of Life in Africa, selected by FCT and AKDN, whose main responsibilities are the continuous monitoring and evaluation of funded projects. The ESRP monitored not only the scientific results, but also the scientific impact of the projects on human development and quality of life, carrying out its work by analyzing the progress of the projects based on annual progress reports, as well as personalized monitoring of all projects. The panel was chaired by Professor António Rendas, from Universidade Nova de Lisboa and member of the Board of Trustees of Aga Khan University, and composed of: Professor Mohamed Azzim Gulamhussen, Vlerick Business School / ISCTE-IUL Business School; Professor Jaime Nina, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Professor Pedro Pousão, Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere; Professor Helena Nazaré, University of Aveiro.

The projects have now been completed, and the overall Project Evaluation Report, prepared by the ESRP with the aim of'presenting the overall results of the projects, taking into account the previous interactions between ESRP members and the Principal Investigators of each project during the last six years of the program, between 2018 and 2023,' is now available for consultation.

2nd Call for the submission of proposals for Joint Projects

Twenty-one projects were supported with a joint investment from FCT and AKDN of around €5 million, involving institutions from 13 African countries: South Africa, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and São Tomé and Príncipe. This edition sought to support new initiatives and collaborations between Portuguese, African, and AKDN scientific and academic research institutions, with the aim of developing international partnerships that would contribute to strengthening research capacities, encouraging and strengthening scientific, technical, human, and social skills and capacities aimed at improving the quality of life in Africa.

The list of projects is available here.

The 21 projects were monitored throughout their implementation by an External Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (ESRP), a panel of experts with recognized experience in quality of life in Africa, selected by FCT and AKDN, whose primary responsibilities are the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the funded projects. The ESRP was coordinated by Professor António Rendas of Universidade Nova de Lisboa and a member of the Board of Trustees of Aga Khan University, assisted by: Professor Mohamed Azzim Gulamhussen of Vlerick Business School / ISCTE-IUL Business School; Professor Jaime Nina of the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Professor Pedro Pousão of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere; Professor Helena Nazaré, University of Aveiro; Professor Helena Vieira, University of Aveiro.

ESRP monitored the scientific results as well as the impact of the projects on human development and quality of life, carrying out its work by analyzing the progress of the projects based on annual progress reports and maintaining individualized oversight of each project.

The Overall Project Evaluation Report, prepared by ESRP to present the overall results of the competition and the projects, is now available.