Addis Ababa - The project "Improving the Sustainability and Inclusiveness of the Ethiopian Coffee Value Chain through Private and Public Partnership", funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), represents a productive example of a Public-Private Partnership initiative to support and improve the Ethiopian coffee value chain.
Thanks to a constructive and fruitful engagement with the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Development and Marketing Authority, and the partnership with Illycaffe' and the Ernesto Illy Foundation, the project aims to become replicable experience for UNIDO and its partners. The project unfolds through three levels of intervention (the field-crop production and soil management level, the value chain level and the institutional level), and aims to strengthen the Ethiopian coffee sector by adding value to the coffee produced in the country.
The project's activities include, but are not limited to: capacity building and training for more than 9.000 coffee farmers in Aleta Wondo (Southern Nation Nationalities and People Regional State) and Delo Mena (Oromia State); the renovation of 15 coffee farmers' cooperatives washing stations and coffee drying stations. Technical support and development of a tailor-made business plan for the Sidama Coffee Farmers' Cooperatives Union and the Burka Yadot Cooperative Union; technical support and capacity building for the Ethiopian Coffee Roasters Association; capacity building for institutions by way of international study tours to the main coffee producing and exporting countries; the development of a comprehensive communication strategy for the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Development and Marketing Authority, as well as for the creation of national branding and marketing strategy for "Ethiopian Coffee".  Moreover, though the fruitful engagement with ECTDMA, illycaffe' and the Ernesto Illy Foundation, the project is working to establish the Coffee Training Centre (CTC) in Addis Ababa, based on the model of the Universita' del Caffe'. The CTC will enable Ethiopian coffee stakeholders to improve their knowledge and skills.
Furthermore, illycaffe' and Fondazione Ernesto Illy each year offer a scholarship to a young Ethiopian coffee practitioner to attend the six-month Coffee Economics and Science Master's course at the Universita' del Caffe' in Trieste, Italy. 

Accra - The Ambassador of Italy Giovanni Favilli is glad to announce to all Ghanaian graduate students that the third edition of the scholarship programme “Invest Your Talent in Italy (IYT)” has been officially launched.  The programme provides graduates with a unique opportunity to continue their studies in one of the leading Italian Universities and to experience an internship in one of the top Italian companies.  Invest Your Talent in Italy offers an opportunity to develop their skills through a range of Master’s and Postgraduate courses in English geared towards improving your academic, technical and professional skills, and on?the?job training at leading Italian companies while completing their academic work that provides knowledge for your future career. Postgraduate courses in Engineering, Advanced Technologies, Architecture, Design, Economics and Management at top Italian Universities designed in close cooperation with key businesses will boost their job prospects within a competitive landscape. There are also Italian language and culture courses, for the benefit of all the students, to provide an opportunity for closer social and intellectual integration during the stay in Italy. Admission to one of the Invest Your Talent in Italy courses offers the opportunity of being beneficiary of scholarships, partial or total tuition fee exemption, and student support services.
The scholarship is worth 8,000 euros per year and, in case of attendance of a two?year course, it can be renewed for the second academic year. General entry qualification required: a three or four-year bachelor’s degree. Specific entry requirements will depend on the chosen course. Applications must be sent by February 28th, 2018 throughhttp://investyourtalentapplication.esteri.it.
Invest Your Talent in Italy is a Programme sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, ICE ? Italian Trade Agency and Uni–Italia (Centre for the academic promotion and orientation of study in Italy) in collaboration with Unioncamere (Italian Chambers of Commerce), Confindustria (Confederation of Italian Industry) and in partnership with leading Italian companies. IYT provides scholarships to students from 15 countries. Ghana is the only country selected from West Africa.