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The objectives of the Association of African Universities (AAU) are:

• to promote interchange, contact and cooperation among university institutions in Africa;
• to collect, classify and disseminate information on higher education and research, particularly in Africa; 
• to promote cooperation among African Institutions in curriculum development, and in the determination of equivalence of degrees;
• to encourage increased contacts between its members and the international academic world;
• to study and make known the educational and related needs of African university institutions and, as far as practicable, to coordinate the means whereby those needs may be met;
• to encourage the development and wider use of African languages;
• to reorganise, encourage and support seminars and conferences between African university teachers, administrators and others dealing with problems of higher education in Africa.

For the more effective attainment of these objectives, the Association formulates a coherent programme of core activities aimed at 

• contributing more effectively to building capacity in African universities;
• creating a framework within which its partners can contribute more effectively to the funding of the core programme as a whole; and
• ensuring more efficient use of its resources.

GENERAL THEME: AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES AND THE CHALLENGE OF KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND APPLICATION IN THE NEW CENTURY
A. SUB-THEMES
Coverage
The Core Programme covers the following Sub-Themes:

Leadership and management
Quality of training and research
Information and communication technologies
Women in African tertiary institutions
Improving management and access to African scholarly work

Staff exchanges
Scholarships and other support grants
Implementation

Monitoring and Evaluation
To enhance the execution and management of programmes and better fulfil the objectives of the Core Programme as a whole, the internal monitoring and evaluation process will be strengthened. In addition, a comprehensive annual report will be published.

Funding
Funding for the Programme will be generated through member university subscriptions, grants from African countries, the Organisation of African Unity, and through donor assistance. To cut down on implementation costs, workshops and seminars and similar activities will, whenever possible, be organised to coincide with major statutory activities, notably the Conferences of Rectors, Vice Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities. 

B. PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES AND BUDGET ESTIMATES
The major components of the Core Programme are:
 

1. Leadership and Management

$3,806,000

• Study Programme on Higher Education Management in Africa
• Training Workshops on Leadership, Administration and Management of Universities

• Towards a Dynamic Process of Curricular Reform and Innovations 
• Regional Cooperation in Graduate Training and Research

• The Database of African Theses and Dissertations
• Digital Library for Theses and Dissertations
• Guideline for Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights
• Collective Acquisition and/or Access to Academic Literature

 

6. Projects on Major Emerging Issues

$500,000

In addition to the major components of the Core Programme as set out above, the AAU will, as in the past, formulate and seek funding for special projects that address major emerging issues of critical significance to African higher education or the demands of African development. Two of these might be singled out for urgent consideration:

· Education for Peace and Conflict Avoidance
· HIV/AIDS and the Student 

C. SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP SERVICES TO PROMOTE ACADEMIC MOBILITY AND QUALITY ENHANCEMENT

• Staff Exchange
• Graduate Scholarships
• Grants For Thesis Writing

E. SUPPORT SERVICES RELATED TO THE MANAGEMENT OF PROGRAMMES  (15% of total budget)