Running from 2024 to 2030 with a total budget of €100 million, the RTIA is funded by the European Commission under the Global Gateway strategy and implemented through a partnership involving the Finnish National Agency for Education, Expertise France, Belgian agency for international cooperation, Quality Education for Equity and Sustainable Development, Association pour la Promotion de l’Education et de la Formation à l'Etranger, UNESCO, and the African Union Commission. The initiative addresses a pressing challenge facing education systems today: ensuring that every learner has access to well prepared, motivated, and supported teachers.

The RTIA focuses on three complementary areas of action. First, it provides technical assistance to support teacher governance and education reforms in partner countries. Second, it promotes innovative approaches to teacher education and continuing professional development. Third, it invests in collaborative research that generates evidence to inform educational policy and practice. Alongside these activities, the initiative places strong emphasis on knowledge exchange, capacity building, and collaboration between African and European institutions.

These priorities closely resonate with the mission and vision of the UNESCO Chair on Physical Activity and Health in Educational Settings: High quality education depends not only on effective curricula, but also on teachers who are equipped to create inclusive, healthy, and engaging learning environments. Supporting teacher competence, wellbeing, and professional learning is essential for advancing quality education and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); specifically SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

As an international network committed to interdisciplinary research and South-North cooperation, the UNESCO Chair values initiatives such as the RTIA that strengthen research partnerships, facilitate knowledge mobilisation, and connect universities, policymakers, and practitioners (see also ‘ Forming partnerships and finding solutions to address challenges of Physical Education in South Africa’). Such collaborations contribute to building resilient education systems capable of addressing contemporary challenges while improving learning opportunities for children and young people.

Learn more

• Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa (RTIA): https://www.oph.fi/en/internationalisation/regional-teachers-initiative-africa
• European Commission Global Gateway – RTIA: https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/global-gateway/regional-teachers-initiative-africa_en