Accra, Oct 6, GNA – The Association of African Universities (AAU) has begun its second Mobilizing Regional Capacity Initiative (MRCI) Workshop with the objective of providing a context for the presentation and discussion of the MRCI project results of beneficiaries.

The two-day event, which brought together participants from West, East and Southern Africa, whose institutions are beneficiaries of the MRCI, offered a common platform to engage and encourage participants to present and discuss their work, obtain feedback in an informal, supportive, and friendly environment, and contribute to the outcomes and objectives of the workshop.

MRCI, sponsored by the Challenge Fund of the Department for International Development (DFID), aims at strengthening of the partnership between AAU and sub-regional and national bodies representing higher education institutions in Africa, as part of the drive for sustainable development of the African continent.

It also aims at strengthening Africa higher education institutions to act as catalysts for poverty eradication and sustainable development.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in Accra on Thursday, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, Secretary General of AAU said so far 41 universities across Africa had been benefiting from the MRCI, which was expected to lead to enhanced capacity of higher education institutions for information sharing, innovation and reform.

Prof Jegede said out of the figure, 23 had started research projects on the four thematic areas of the MRCI while nine had completed their projects.

The four thematic areas include Higher Education and Poverty Reduction and Progress on the MDGs, Enhancing the Role of Higher Education in Strengthening Community Skills, Improving Higher Education through Information Communication Technology Innovations, and Promoting the Contribution of Agriculture to Sustainable Development.

He said MRCI was charting a new dimension in development research on the continent saying research projects on the thematic areas were expected to help in the development process of the continent as well as attaining the MDGs.

Prof Jegede spoke about MRCI, saying it was expected to lead to, among others things, “policy-oriented research leading to policy briefs that highlight new and innovative ways that higher education institutions can contribute to national development programmes for the attainment of the MDGs”.

“Development of policy frameworks that address key issues confronting higher education institutions such as schemes for enhancing enrolment of under-represented groups and quality of teaching and learning,” he added.

He called on journalists to help make research outcomes known to policy makers and the general public to inform their decisions.

He appealed to DFID to continue to support higher education in Africa.

AAU, founded with an initial membership of 34 public universities on November 12, 1967 in Rabat, Morocco, serves as the continental organization and principal forum for consultation, exchange of information and cooperation among higher education institutions in Africa.

It has its headquarters in Accra and has grown in membership to 265 from 44 countries as at October 2011.