Hundreds of delegates have converged in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, for the 18th Conference of Rectors, Vice Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities, (COREViP), to deliberate on improving higher education in Africa.

The Association of African Universities (AAU), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of Rwanda, and the University of Rwanda (UR), is organizing the Conference, on the theme: ‘Internationalization of Higher Education in Africa’.

The Conference of Rectors, Vice-Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities, is an Assembly of the Chief Executive Officers of member-institutions, or their representatives.

It meets every two years with the purpose of collectively examining themes identified as common concerns and priorities for the development of higher education in member-institutions.

The four-day meeting is set to convene distinguished scholars and practitioners to discuss topical issues on promoting the quality of higher education in Africa, such as promoting mobility and credit transfer across Africa; improving the relevance of higher education in a globalized world; and promoting new modes of teaching and learning (including e-Learning and Distance Learning) to enhance learning outcomes, skills and competences, and graduate employability.

The over 250 delegates from 44 countries comprise executive heads of AAU member-institutions, African scholars, representative of student bodies, as well as representatives of sub-regional, regional and international organizations, as well as the donor and development agencies that partner with the AAU in carrying out its mandate of improving the quality of higher education in Africa.

The COREViP will provide an excellent opportunity for leaders of African higher education institutions, particularly the current member-institutions of the AAU, including universities and polytechnics, to exchange experiences, and draw on the lessons from the themes, as well as serve as an opportunity to hear from both regional and international organizations involved in higher education initiatives.

Ghana has a 21 - member delegation attending the meeting, including Professor Joshua Alabi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Prof Esi.Awuah, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Prof Sam K. Offei of the University of Ghana, Prof Dabire Kuupole, Cape Coast University and Prof E Y Danquah from the University of Ghana.

Professor Silas Lwakabamba, the Rwandan Minister of Education who opened the meeting said the higher education sector on the continent needed to produce, seek and adapt knowledge to overcome the African development challenges, because it was through a strong higher education sector that would enable Africa to be part of the global economy.

‘Our continent needs to re-design and streamline our higher education approaches, to respond to the high socio-economic development expectations of our people’.

Professor Etienne E. Ehile, Secretary General of the AAU said improving the quality of education was the most important investment any nation could make, as economies would not thrive or reach their full potentials, unless the human resource base was of a very high quality.

‘It is in this light that we, as the pacesetters of the Higher Education in Africa have a great responsibility to focus all our efforts, expertise and knowledge in ensuring that we do not fail our countries.

‘In meeting this high expectations of society, we must acknowledge that we each have our weaknesses, strengths and challenges and can therefore not remarkably meet these expectations in solitude. It is for this reason that the organization of the COREVIP is highly critical. ‘

Professor Olusola Oyewole, AAU President said ‘It is the hope of the AAU that the deliberations of the meeting will provide an excellent opportunity for leaders of African higher education institutions and other partners to exchange experiences and lessons from what some institutions within Africa and beyond have gained from internationalizing their institutions.

‘It is also our hope that the Conference will help higher education institutions in Africa and elsewhere to gain greater understanding of internationalisation to enable them internationalise all aspects of their institutions.’

The AAU) is an international non-governmental organization set up in November 1967 by universities in Africa, to promote co-operation among themselves and between them, and the international academic community.

With a current membership of 320 institutions of higher learning drawn from all regions within the continent, the AAU is the representative voice of the African Higher Education community.

The mission of the AAU is to raise the quality of higher education in Africa, and strengthen its contributions to African development by fostering co-operation and collaboration among its member-institutions, providing support to their core functions of teaching, learning and research.