University of Parma – Africa: agreement with DMI-St. Eugene University in Zambia

University Council President Ananth Thomson was received at the University by Rector Paolo Martelli, following the agreements already signed with other universities belonging to the DMI Group in India and Africa. Meetings were also held with faculty membe

 

Parma, 15 September 2026 – Cooperation between the University of Parma and African universities is growing stronger. Rector Paolo Martelli welcomed Ananth Thomson, President of the University Council of DMI-St. Eugene University in Lusaka, Zambia, to the University’s headquarters. During the meeting, a cooperation agreement was signed, opening up new opportunities for academic exchanges, joint research and the development of shared educational programmes.

The meeting was attended by Nadia Monacelli, the Rector’s Delegate for International Cooperation; Roberto Valentino, the Rector’s Delegate for Relations with Africa and Director of CUCI – the University Centre for International Cooperation; and Marco Mezzadri, a member of the University’s Board of Directors.

Ananth Thomson, accompanied by Sujatha Anand, lecturer and Head of International Relations at St. Joseph University, also met with colleagues from the fields of Engineering, Medicine, Nursing and Economics to explore potential areas of collaboration.

The agreement with the Zambian university consolidates and expands the University of Parma’s relations with institutions belonging to the DMI Group, a Catholic organisation of Indian origin committed to education, healthcare and the promotion of opportunities for women, with particular attention to disadvantaged communities. The group includes universities and higher education institutions in India and Africa.

The signing follows on from the cooperation agreements concluded last July, during a University of Parma mission to India, with the Kanyakumari Medical Mission Research Centre in Tamil Nadu and St. Joseph University in Chümoukedima, Nagaland. On the same occasion, an agreement with St. Joseph University in Tanzania was also renewed.

These collaborations take place in a context in which faith-based institutions play an important role in expanding access to education in various parts of India and Africa, including in communities with fewer educational opportunities, particularly where public institutions struggle to fully meet the educational needs of the population.

Strengthening relations with institutions belonging to the DMI Group is part of the University of Parma’s efforts to enhance international cooperation, one of its strategic priorities. The agreements provide for the development of exchange programmes for students, faculty members, researchers and research staff, the implementation of joint research projects, and the promotion of shared educational programmes.