The Africa AI Upskilling Programme is a multi-country initiative designed to strengthen advanced artificial intelligence (AI) education across African higher education institutions. Led by FATE Foundation, in collaboration with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and supported by Google.org, the programme aims to build a sustainable and scalable ecosystem for AI education in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. As AI continues to transform industries, economies, and societies globally, African universities must be equipped with the tools, curriculum, and teaching capacity required to remain relevant and competitive. This programme responds directly to that need by embedding advanced, industry-aligned AI education within institutional STEM frameworks. Programme Vision and Strategic Focus The Africa AI Upskilling Programme is designed to empower universities to become centres of excellence for AI teaching, research, and innovation. Rather than operating as a standalone training initiative, the programme prioritises institutional capacity building and long-term integration. The programme focuses on: Strengthening AI teaching capacity within STEM departments Aligning academic AI education with industry and research needs Building a strong pipeline of AI-skilled graduates across the continent Supporting institutions to become pioneers in AI education and innovation Contributing meaningfully to Africa’s growing AI ecosystem By targeting institutions, lecturers, and students simultaneously, the programme creates a multiplier effect that supports sustainable impact. Advanced AI Curriculum and Learning Model At the core of the programme is the Google DeepMind AI Research Foundation’s Curriculum, a comprehensive and research-driven framework for advanced AI education. The curriculum provides both theoretical depth and practical application, ensuring learners are equipped with future-ready skills. The curriculum consists of eight specialised courses: Build Your Own Small Language Model Represent Your Language Data Design and Train Neural Networks Discover Your Transformer Architecture Finetune Your Model Align Your Model Accelerate Your Model Capstone: Develop Your Model for Real-World Impact Each course is carefully structured to guide learners from foundational concepts through to real-world AI system development. To ensure relevance and effectiveness, the curriculum is thoughtfully localised for each participating country and delivered with local mentorship and contextual examples. Capacity Building for Lecturers and Institutions A central pillar of the programme is the Train-the-Trainer model, which focuses on building the long-term teaching capacity of participating institutions. Lecturers and teaching assistants are trained not only on advanced AI concepts, but also on effective pedagogy and curriculum integration. Through this approach, institutions are supported to: Strengthen the skills of STEM lecturers and teaching assistants Enhance curriculum design and delivery for advanced AI topics Embed AI modules into existing STEM programmes for sustainability Improve institutional readiness for AI research and innovation This ensures that AI education continues well beyond the programme’s duration. Student Development and Real-World Impact The Africa AI Upskilling Programme places strong emphasis on applied learning and problem-solving. Students are guided to design and develop AI-powered projects that address real-life challenges relevant to their local and regional contexts. Key student-focused outcomes include: Access to advanced, employable AI skills Exposure to real-world AI problem-solving methodologies Guidance on developing impactful AI-powered solutions Participation in capstone projects and solution showcases Through these experiences, students graduate with practical competencies that enhance employability and entrepreneurial potential. Target Audience The programme is designed to engage multiple stakeholders within the higher education ecosystem. Target participants include: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa Lecturers and Teaching Assistants, referred to as AI Champions Penultimate and final-year STEM students This multi-level engagement ensures coherence between teaching, learning, and institutional strategy. Institutional Benefits Participating institutions gain both academic and strategic advantages through the programme, including: Access to a localised Google DeepMind AI Research Foundation curriculum Advanced AI training for lecturers and teaching assistants Enhanced student learning outcomes and employability Increased institutional visibility through showcases and recognitions Contribution to continental AI knowledge and innovation networks These benefits position institutions as leaders in AI education within their national and regional contexts. Eligibility Criteria To ensure effective participation and impact, institutions must meet the following eligibility requirements: Be accredited HEIs offering STEM programmes in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, or South Africa Have lecturers, teaching assistants, and students available for active participation Demonstrate faculty availability and basic technical readiness Commit to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) reporting Participate in capstone project development and assessment Demonstrate willingness to integrate advanced AI content into existing STEM programmes Why Participate? Institutions that join the Africa AI Upskilling Programme position themselves at the forefront of AI education on the continent. Participation enables universities to strengthen academic relevance, attract high-quality students, and contribute directly to Africa’s digital and technological transformation. Application and Next Steps Interested higher education institutions are invited to complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) Form via the official programme webpage: Early submission is strongly encouraged, as onboarding will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. Programme slots are limited. VIEW THE ToR HERE For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering the fellowship. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.