4.1 AAU Mid-Term Report on the Implementation of the Core Programme 1997-2000 and AAU Vision and Medium Term Plans presented by the AAU Secretary General. 
 

In this biannual report covering the January 1997-December 1998 period, the presenter gave details of the 1997-2000 Core Programme of the AAU, spelling out the implementation of the programme which mainly dealt with four areas, viz.: 
 

· Leadership and management 

· The role of the university in the education sector 

· The Quality of training and research 

· Gender sensitization. 

Regarding the role of the university in the education sector, the presenter evaluated the status of African languages in higher education indicating how most African universities have made it a point to teach at least one African language while others are thinking of using African languages in teaching. 
 

On the theme of Quality of Training and Research the Secretary General informed the delegates about a project on the Inventory of Capacities for Graduate Education and Research in African Universities, saying that it had been concluded in 1997. A CD-ROM containing the same had been produced and distributed to member universities. 
 

The other AAU projects and programmes which aimed at covering the four areas mentioned above were listed as: 

· Electronic communication for the exchange of information 

· Information system on higher education in Africa 

· Promotion of scholarly publishing 

· Collection and dissemination of research results in science and technology 

· Directory of training opportunities in ACP countries 

· Quality of training and research 

· Regional cooperation in graduate training and research 

· Graduate Programme in Humanitarian and Refugee Studies 

As for gender sensitization, the conference was informed that there is an AAU programme known as "Chairs for women in science and technology" whose aim was to strengthen the participation of women and girls in science and technology in Africa. This Chair, whose details were given by the presenter, together with the production of materials relating to the subject of gender sensitization, and networking efforts with such active organizations like FAWE, were all shown to be part of the struggle for equity in education in Africa. 
 

The presenter listed a host of other activities related to AAU work which included leadership training, university linkage with the productive sector, African University day, and a Meeting on University Libraries in Africa. 
 

The next part of the report dealt with Academic Cooperation in which two sub-themes, Special Membership Services and Partnership for the Development of Higher Education in Africa and the World were detailed. 
 

The Secretary General then turned to the issue of the vision about the future of the AAU. The thrust of the presentation here was that the delegates should rethink the AAU and see how we can restate its mission and vision in the context of the 21st century. Here, issues of membership, partnerships, and a form/structure or mode of functioning and guiding philosophy of an AAU in the wake of the next millennium, were all lauded. 
 

After reporting on the statutory meetings which included the 9th General Conference held in Lusaka in 1997 and COREVIP'97 organized within that General Conference, the Secretary General reported on the AAU's publications after which a detailed report on Administration and Finances was given. This part of the report titled AAU Financial Situation: Current Situation and Alternative Approaches to Financing Activities generally indicated that the AAU was dependent on donor funds since more than 50% of the member universities hardly paid up their dues. Indeed, even the substantial support expected from African governments had not been received. 
 

In concluding his presentation, the Secretary General mentioned that although considerable progress had been made in obtaining funding for the core programme activities, much work was still needed to gain greater commitments for the programmes in the coming years. He advised that the dependency on donor funds needs to be reversed by identifying other sources of sustainable income. He urged member universities to pay their fees regularly and significantly reduce their arrears. Finally, the Secretary General said that it is important that the AAU maintains close monitoring of the budget expenditures, particularly in the areas of administration, in view of the financial constraints that AAU faces.(For the full text of this report see Appendix IX) 
 
 

4.2 Discussion 
 

Most discussants thanked the Secretary General for a comprehensive and very transparent report. It was cautioned that in reconsidering the issue of membership, care should be taken to ensure that AAU remained a predominantly AFRICAN association as it was meant it to be from the beginning. Member universities were further urged to pay their dues in time, while in some special cases such as for those universities in war-torn countries, special arrangements could be made regarding their dues. The presentation was followed by a special report on the Database on Theses and Dissertations (DATAD).