Pan-African University

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 PAU was officially launched in 2011, and the University's Statute was adopted in 2013.

The PAU high level panel included 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. An interim Rectorate took over the high level panel, headed by Deputy Rector Professor Kassa Belay of Ethiopia. A Steering Committee stakeholders including representatives of the African Union Commission, eminent African academics, Africans in the Diaspora, partners, the public and private sector performed the role of a Council until the establishment of the PAU Council in June 2015. (^[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 Institutes

UN subregions of Africa

The Pan African University addresses five crucial thematic areas, through a network of five flagship institutes, namely Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation; Life and Earth Sciences (including Health and Agriculture), Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences; Water and Energy Sciences (including Climate Change); and Space Sciences. The thematic areas are assigned to institutes hosted by existing Universities of excellence across Africa’s five geographic regions as follows

• The Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI), hosted by the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya (Eastern Africa);
• The Institute for Life and Earth Sciences (including Health and Agriculture (PAULESI), hosted by the University of Ibadan in Nigeria (Western Africa);
• The Institute for Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences (PAUGHSS), hosted by the University of Yaounde II in Cameroon (Central Africa);
• The Institute for Water and Energy Sciences (including Climate Change (PAUWES), hosted by the University of Tlemcen in Algeria (Northern Africa); and
• The Institute for Space Sciences (PAUSS) to be hosted by a University in the Republic of South Africa (Southern Africa).

When fully deployed, each PAU thematic institute will be linked to ten Satellite Centers with complementary thematic specializations, inter- and trans-disciplinary programs. At full operational capacity, the PAU will incorporate 50 centers of excellence under its five academic hubs across Africa.

Implementation status

PAU Institutes are currently operational in four of Africa’s five regions (Western, Eastern, Central and Northern regions), whilst negotiations are ongoing to operationalize the fifth PAU Institute in Southern Africa. The first batch of 55 students graduated in Kenya in November 2014, and another batch graduated in November 2015, from the Life and Earth Sciences Institute in Nigeria. PAU has an existing student population of 314 with a new admissions list of 350 for the 2015/2016 academic year. The call for student applications for the 2015-2016 academic year attracted 5629 applicants, representing an overall increment of 361% from the previous year. The number of female applicants increased by 560.3 percent, and the proportion of female applicants increased across institutes. The January 2015 Summit of Heads of State and Government also appointed Prof. Tolly S. MBWETTE (Tanzania) as the President and Prof. Paulo Horácio de Sequeira e CARVALHO (Angola) as the Vice President of the PAU Council for a three-year term, based on regional nominations. The Commission proceeded to constitute the broader membership of the Council in line with provisions of the PAU Statute, and the PAU Council held its inaugural meeting on 25 June 2015 at the AUC Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The Council held its first meeting in June and an extraordinary meeting in October 2015. At both meetings, priority matters bordering on the project’s progress and development were discussed, including the need to amend the PAU Statute to confer greater autonomy upon the university. The January 2015 Summit also selected the Republic of Cameroon to host the Pan African University Rectorate, following evaluation missions to the countries that applied to host the Rectorate including Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Tunisia. Consultative communication has been ongoing between the Commission and the Government of Cameroon resulting in the adoption of a roadmap for the final relocation of the Rectorate to Yaounde by the end of March 2016.

PAU scholarship grants

PAU offers full scholarships to all students enrolled into its programmes following a competitive admissions process. Calls for scholarship applications are issued and widely disseminated by the Rectorate and students apply online. PAU Institutes establish juries of local, regional and international experts to select students and Institute Boards submit the final list of selected students to the Rectorate. The PAU Senate makes final recommendations on student admission to the PAU Council. Before enrolment, each student signs a scholarship agreement specifying the conditions of the offer and the duties and responsibilities of both parties. In the scholarship agreement, PAU Students are required to make an undertaking to serve any African Union Member State for a period equal to at least the duration of the scholarship after the successful completion of their studies. Students are obliged not to engage in any income generating activities that will interfere with their academic programmes. Student engagement in income generating activities shall be approved by the PAU Rectorate, only if such activities will not interfere with the student’s academic programme. The scholarship grant covers the following costs:

• Tuition fees, paid directly to the relevant PAU institute;
• A stipend of $750 per month for Masters, and $1,100 for PhD students, to support the student’s living costs including food, housing, utilities, local transportation and medical insurance;
• Students not permanently resident in the country hosting the institute they are attending are entitled to a single, economy return air ticket for the most direct route between their country/city of permanent residence and the host country/city; and
• Students permanently resident in the country hosting the institute they are attending are entitled to $100 to cover the cost of their travel.

The PAU Rectorate reserves the right to terminate or suspend the grant if there is compelling evidence that the student has not complied with any of the provisions of the scholarship agreement. Partnering with the PAU means engaging with the whole of Africa. As an African Union flagship, the PAU is an innovative project established to transform higher education in the continent. Targeting the new generation of Africans, the university is underpinned by not only the desire, but the resolve to propel the continent’s competitiveness in higher education, research, science and technology. It is designed to be an engine of Africa’s socio-economic development, powered by a pool of highly skilled and enterprising young Africans. Like its parent organization, the African Union, the PAU is owned by Africa in its entirety, including people in the diaspora, and is supported by friends of the continent across the globe. Result-oriented and embedded with the values of quality, excellence, professionalism and academic freedom, the PAU has attracted a string of vital partners, supporters and collaborators in the international community, as well as in academia.

PAU Partnerships

PAU Thematic Partners are responsible for strengthening the teaching and research capacity of the Institutes and Centers through the acquisition of world-class equipment and facilities as well as the incorporation of best practices and standards. Thematic Partners are also expected to make financial and technical contributions towards the running of PAU Institutes. Among PAU Partners, those supporting more than one thematic area are designated Key Thematic Partners (KTPs).

References