HE stakeholders urged to help realise ‘The Africa we want’

Association of African Universities (AAU) stakeholders have been asked to contribute towards ensuring that higher education in Africa finds a place among the best in the world, AAU President Professor Orlando Quilambo has said.

Speaking at the opening of the 20th AAU Conference of Rectors, Vice-Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities (COREVIP) in Cairo on Monday, Quilambo said: “Let us, at institutional level, involve students and other stakeholders, through reforms in curricula, pedagogy and research, to engender more innovations that change lives of societies.

“Let us inculcate relevant skills such as critical thinking, effective communication, entrepreneurship and adaptability, among others, to enhance the employability of our graduates,” he said, adding, “Let us model and nurture transformational leadership, good governance, inclusive stakeholder management, conflict resolution and respect for human rights, as well as preservation of the continent’s environment for future generations.”

He said when the AAU gathered in the Ghanaian capital of Accra two years ago to celebrate the association’s 50th anniversary, a number of resolutions were made. Key among them was a commitment to align the AAU’s activities with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, with special attention to its decadal strategies – namely, the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25) and the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2024).

“To our friends from government, industry and policy-making institutions, let us work to improve investments in higher education to help achieve the African Union’s vision of an 'integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena',” Quilambo said.

He gave the assurance that the AAU will work with all stakeholders to ensure that the vision of their forebears in establishing the AAU, which had as its goal to improve the quality and relevance of higher education and strengthen its contribution to Africa’s development, is achieved.

Quilambo said the AAU will continue to foster collaboration among its members; provide support to member universities’ core functions of teaching, learning, research and community engagement; and facilitate critical reflection on and consensus-building around issues affecting higher education and the development of Africa through various activities and networking events, such as this meeting and other similar fora.

“For us to achieve this, I call on all stakeholders, especially our members, key development partners, industry, policy-makers and all sectors, to stand solidly behind the AAU secretary general and the secretariat, who are directly responsible for the implementation of the association’s programmes,” he said.

Quilambo urged delegates to be active and engage with the discussions and key issues during the four days of the conference in order to come out with results that will help in the growth of higher education across the continent. “Let us remember that our continent is counting on us to lead the way and fully utilise our intellect and skills to transform our current situations and move towards “The Africa we want”.