Millicent Kyei

The East Africa Regional Office for the AAU is launched

On the 14th March 2018 the East Africa Regional Office for the Association of African Universities was successfully launched in Khartoum, Sudan. This memorable event took place at the Sudan Ministry of Higher Education Conference Room. The East Africa Regional Office for the AAU is hosted by the University of Khartoum and its mandate covers the 11 countries of East Africa (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia).

The high profile dignitaries in attendance included the Honourable Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Sudan (Professor Somia Abo Kashawa), President of the AAU (Professor Orlando Antonio Quilambo), Secretary General of the AAU (Professor Etienne E. Ehile), Vice Chancellor University of Khartoum (Professor Ahmed M. Suleiman), Association of Sudanese Universities (Professor Ahmed Altayb), President Sudan International University and Vice President of AAU (Prof Bakri Osman Saeed), Executive Secretary of RUFORUM (Professor Adipala Ekwamu), Vice President Al Azhar University in Egypt (Professor Yousuf Amer),  Director of  development projects and Innovation Center Manager at Ain Shams University, Egypt (Prof M.S. Al-Kotb) and representatives of the Arab Bank for Economic Development, UNESCO, Private Sector, Diplomatic Missions, Professional Association of Sudanese Universities Academic Staff  and Students Associations

The main goal of the AAU East Africa Regional Office is to increase the impact of AAU activities in East Africa and maximise the benefits of AAU to the membership universities in East Africa. This decentralization of the Association’s activities is expected to help improve both the visibility of the AAU and the quality of higher education in Africa. Some specific objectives of the East Africa Regional office include:

  1. To enhance the role of governments at the sub-regional level in supporting the activities of the Association;
  2. To promote knowledge sharing within the Eastern African sub-region and with the other 4 sub-regions;
  3. To actively promote collaboration among academia, civil society, private sector and governments at the sub-regional level;

Other AAU Regional Offices will be launched in North Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa.

Please download the relevant attachments below:

  1. The Photo Album of the Launch: https://www.flickr.com/photos/134073620@N02/albums/72157692143537812
  2. Declaration of Khartoum: Khartoum Declaration
  3. Memorandum of Understanding between the AAU and University of Khartoum: MOU AAU Reg office Sudan
  4. AAU Secretary General’s Speech: SG East Africa Regional Office Launch
  5. President of AAU’s Speech: AAU President Launch East Africa Regional Office
  6. RUFORUM Executive Secretary’s Speech: Goodwill Message from Prof. Adipala Ekwamu
  7. Arabic version of Vice President Al-Azhar University Speech in Sudan: Arabic version Al-Azhar Univer
  8. English version of Vice President Al-Azhar University Speech in Sudan: English version Al-Azhar Univ
  9. French version of Vice President Al-Azhar University Speech in Sudan: French version Al-Azhar Unive
  10. Kiswahili version of Vice President Al-Azhar University Speech in Sudan 15 March: Kiswahili version Al-Azhar U

Contact Details

Dr. Faiza Mohamed Osman Mahmoud

University of Khartoum, AAU East Africa Regional Office

Telephone: +249 90 9005274, Email: projects006@inbox.com and copy secgen@aau.org

 

The History of the Association of African Universities (AAU)

The decision to create the AAU was taken at a meeting of Heads of African Institutions of Higher Education held for this purpose at the University of Khartoum, Sudan in September 1963. The International Association of Universities assisted in planning and making administrative arrangements for this meeting and was invited to cooperate with the Interim Committee that was set up to draft a constitution for the AAU. A founding conference attended by the Heads or Senior representatives of 34 African Universities was held at Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco on 12th November 1967. In this meeting the constitution was adopted and the first officers and members of the Executive Board of the AAU were elected. The second General Conference of the AAU was held at Lovanium University in Kinshasa in November 1969 and new officers and a new Executive Board were elected to take office in 1970. The Government of Ghana won the bid to host the AAU – and the secretariat has been hosted in Ghana since 1970.