in 2011, cape verde devoted just 0.07% of its gdp to research and development, among the lowest rates in west africa. the ministry of higher education, science and culture plans to strengthen the research and academic sectors by placing emphasis on greater mobility, through exchange programmes and international co-operation agreements. as part of this strategy, cape verde is participating in the ibero-american academic mobility programme that expects to mobilize 200 000 academics between 2015 and 2020.