Pan-African University

For the private non-profit university in Lagos formerly called Pan-African University, see Pan-Atlantic University.
Pan-African University (PAU)
Formation 2008
Purpose Post-graduate education
Region served
 Africa
President
 Amadou Lamine Ndiaye
Parent organization
 African Union

The Pan-African University (or Pan African University) (PAU) is a post-graduate training and research network of university nodes in five regions, supported by the African Union. The new organization is also supported by the Association of African Universities.[1]

Formation

The first African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology was held in 2003 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The attendees undertook to improve the quality of science and technology education, and saw that the PAU would be necessary to improve the quality of science education and thereby to improve productivity of African economies. These ideas were elaborated in a "concept note" which outlined the objectives of the PAU.[2] In 2008 the African Union agreed that the PAU should be established.[3] A high-level panel was appointed in 2009 to oversee the PAU. The panel includes Njabulo Ndebele, author and former vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and Ahmadou Lamine Ndiaye, president of the Sénégal Academy of Science and Technology.[2]

Objectives

The PAU aims to provide the opportunity for advanced graduate training and postgraduate research to high-performing African students. Objectives also include promoting mobility of students and teachers and harmonizing programs and degrees.[3] According to Kenyan Education Minister Sam Ongeri the PAU will stimulate collaborative and internationally competitive research, and enhance the attractiveness of African higher education and research institutions.[4]

Regional centers

UN subregions of Africa

Each region has different areas of specialization, with a regional node in one country and other countries hosting satellite campuses. East Africa is the regional node for basic sciences, technology and innovation, while West Africa focuses on earth and life sciences. The Southern African node based in South Africa concentrates on space sciences.[5] This is connected with South Africa's bid to host the Square Kilometre Array of radio telescopes.[6] A Central Africa hub in Cameroon focuses on social and human sciences and governance, and the North African node will study water and energy sciences.[5]

Kenya was chosen as the host for the main East African node in July 2010. This decision was made at a conference in Addis Ababa of African Union Ministers of Education, and followed a protracted dispute over who would become host for the region.[5] In February 2011 Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology was selected as the host for the Kenyan node. The post-graduate Institute on Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI) would be hosted at the Main Campus in Juja.[7] In May 2011 it was decided that Algeria would be the host country for North Africa after Libya had withdrawn its bid.[8] The PAU Institute for Water and Energy Sciences (including climate change) (PAUWES)[9] is hosted at the Abou Bakr Belkaïd University of Tlemcen. In August 2011 Ruqayyah Ahmed Rufa'i, the Nigerian Minister of Education, announced that the University of Ibadan would host the Nigerian node, the PAU Institute of Earth and Life Sciences (PAULESI).[10]

Operations

In September 2009 Jean-Pierre Ezin, African Union commissioner for science, said the node at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa could open as early as February 2010,[6] yet, as World University News reports, "The PAU project continues in other regions although Southern Africa has been lagging behind".[11]
Operations were due to start in September 2011 at centres of excellence in Jomo Kenyatta University in Kenya, Ibadan University in Nigeria and the University of Yaoundé in Cameroon.[3] In Algeria, it was first decided to provide a separate campus. While this was being prepared, eleven universities had formed a network to support the PAU node. The plan was to open the Algerian unit for 40 PhD and 50 master's students. [8] Later, that plan evolved and the university of Tlemcen became the host of the Algerian unit.

References

  1. ↑ Mamadou Mika LOM (2011-08-17). "3 centres d’excellence de l’Institution ouvrent en septembre". Sud Online. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Pan African University becoming a reality". EuropeAfrica. 15 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Pan-African University to open first centres". University World News. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  4. ↑ "Kenya to host Pan African University institute". African Brains. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Gilbert Nganga (4 July 2010). "Pan-African University close to starting". University World News. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Linda Nordling (2 September 2009). "Pan-African University could launch early next year". SciDev. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  7. ↑ "JKUAT Selected To Host Pan African University’s Science And Technology Theme". JKUAT. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Deborah-Fay Ndhlovu (24 October 2011). "Algeria lands Pan African University campus". Nature Middle East. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  9. ↑ "PAU Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (including Climate Change) - PAUWES". Retrieved 2014-11-09.
  10. ↑ "PAN AFRICAN UNIVERSITY TO BE LOCATED IN UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN…AU". Education Matters. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  11. ↑ University World News, 22 November 2013, retrieved May 3, 2014