6.1 Group Discussions and Presentations 
 

The delegates formed 4 discussion groups which were charged to discuss the Keynote address together with the following topics: 

· Group One: Regional Cooperation in Graduate Training and Research. 

· Group Two: Sub-theme 2 and the short presentations on the Essential Electronic Agricultural Library and Use of ICT in Higher Education. 

· Group Three: Sub-theme 3, and short presentations on women in universities and survey of quality assessment and assurance systems in selected institutions. 

· Group Four: Follow-up from the themes of the business session (AAU's Financial Situation and its Vision and Strategic Plan). 
 

6.1.1 Group One Presentation 
 

The Group indicated its support for the Southern African Student Volunteers (SASVO) and similar forms of student involvement. It also emphasized its support for partnerships with US and other universities which have interest in African Universities. 
 

The group recommended that AAU should become familiar with existing University teaching and research data base and subsequently plan how best to build upon these, focussing on graduate programmes with regional relevance. 
 

It further recommended that AAU should inform and encourage donors regarding University requirements and priorities. 
 

AAU should put into consideration the establishment of African Higher Education Funds, through Governments, donors and private sector, to support well defined research. 
 

The group recommended that AAU provide practical ways of strengthening collaboration between Universities, research centres and private sectors throughout the region and between those in the North and the ones in the South of the Sahara. 
 
 
 
 

6.1.1.1 Group One Recommendations: 
 

• The group underscored the importance of physical and electronic mail in facilitating sustainable networking.
• It was recommended that AAU disseminate initiatives taken by individual universities at the regional level e.g. and encourage entrepreneurship
• AAU should encourage common usage of human and material resources available between the Universities
• The group recommended that AAU should provide guidelines on the availability of resources that may be shared by Universities at regional level
• The group urged AAU to pressure OA.U and governments to provide adequate resources to support postgraduate education resources to support postgraduate education and research on sustainable basis to supplement donor support. (For the full version of this presentation see Appendix XIII)

6.1.2 Group Two Presentation  
 

Group Two dealt with, among other issues, the Sub-theme on Information and Communication Technologies. 
 

It recommended that African Universities need to take into cognizance and exploit the rapid global developments and world-wide trends in education and technology to create conducive environment for teaching, learning and research in the 21^st century. Together with this, the group further lauded the need for a new and mutually beneficial partnership between: 
 

• •African Governments and African Universities
• •African Universities and the private sector
• •Regional/Continental cooperation and collaboration amongst African Universities

 

Regarding Information and Communication Technology and its Applications in African Tertiary Institutions and strategies for the 21^st century the group discussed this under three areas: 
 

• •The general current status of ICT
• •Potential areas of ICT application and Plan of Action
• •Current status of ICT in African Universities

 

• •Provision of electronic contact/interaction/interplay amongst African universities
• •Provision of access to library resources and other educational infrastructure
• •Teaching and learning within the campus (Intranet)

 

6.1.2.1 Group Two Recommendations  
 

The recommendations given by the group include: 
 

• •Assessment/Survey of ICT capabilities at every African University should be undertaken soonest and within an agreed upon time interval
• •AAU is requested to kindly assist any African University that may require such assistance, in developing guidelines for the formulation of strategic ICT plans
• •As much as possible, ICT development should be envisaged within University Strategic Plans.

 

• •AAU should ensure high level of ICT awareness, and facilitate training for policy planners, technical personnel and users
• •AAU should facilitate, in collaboration with African universities, the provision of guidelines for IPR and copyright
• •AAU should kindly assist African universities with acquiring capacity to facilitate access to library resources and services through announcements of new trends/technology/tools /information to member universities.

 

6.1.3 Group Three Presentation 
 

The group first reviewed the paper on Access, Quality and Resource Management presented earlier by Dr. F.N. Owako. In addition, two other presentations on Survey of Quality Assessment and Assurance Systems and Women in Universities by Alison Girdwood and Florence Nyamu respectively were reviewed. On the basis of these, the group identified and made the following issues and recommendations organized under the problems of: 
 

• •Access
• •Quality
• •Relevance
• •Funding; and
• •Resource Management

On access, there were a number of issues which were identified by the group, including: 
 

• •Excessive Demand for Higher Education
• •Continuing Education and
• •Encouraging Mobility

 

Several recommendations were given, including those that 
 

• •AAU should establish standardized credit system
• •Gender gap to be closed by aiming at gender parity which reflects the population
• •Provision of improved counselling and monitoring services
• •Narrowing down of gender gap particularly in Science & Technology

 

• •Developing capacity and mechanism for self evaluation
• •Respect for university autonomy
• •Provision of performance incentives and sanctions for staff and students
• •Improving remuneration of staff
• •Improving physical facilities and infrastructure
• •Establishment of external quality assurance bodies
• •Development of mission statements and undertaking of strategic planning

 

• •Provision of education that enhances national and individual character building
• •Preparation of students for world citizenship
• •Integration of knowledge and skills
• •Adoption of Information Communication Technology (ICT)

 

• •Cost-sharing
• •Annual auditing of accounts so as to ensure proper and efficient use of resources
• •Establishment of Management Information Systems
• •Proper and appropriate appraisal of staff
• •Establishment and implementation of staff development policies and programmes

 

6.1.4 Group 4 Presentation 
 

This working group concentrated on the presentations from the Business Meeting by the Secretary General and the AAU Staff as well as the suggestions and comments made during that session. The group report was divided into sets of recommendations that reflect the major areas of the discussion. These were, among others, that: 
 

• •the current programs be expanded as much as funding allows
• •some training be decentralized to save costs
• •training programs should be set up for other senior administrators such as deans
• •the Secretariat conducts a survey to ascertain the needs of members for leadership training
• •that the Secretariat set up a list serve for AAU members to be managed by a member institution to allow communication on issues between presidents, vice chancellors, and rectors

 

Sector. It focussed on the contributions of higher education institutions to general education and to society at large. 
 
 

6.1.4.1 Group Four Recommendations 

The following were the major recommendations on this theme: 
 

• •Regarding the language question, AAU was charged with the role of going beyond the survey it has already carried out to look at successful models in which indigenous languages are used in higher education programmes
• •Efforts must be made to encourage the development of software in the current information technology revolution, that facilitates the use of characters and symbols needed for African languages
• •AAU must encourage African language teaching outside of Africa
• •AAU should work with other institutions and like-minded associations from other parts of the world, to consider and explore future directions in higher education
• •

 

Contributing ideas on Gender the group endorsed the suggestion made during one of the general 

sessions which urged the AAU to ensure gender equity in Information Technology programs. 
 

The group reviewed finance issues under two general headings, membership and other financial issues. It recommended that the Secretariat prepares documentation about the services and advantages of membership in the AAU, and that several categories of membership be considered. It also suggested that membership not be based on AAU's financial needs. Those ties might be made through other types of links that might be given a special title such as "Friends of AAU". 
 

Among other recommendations, it was suggested that the AAU set up an endowment and also a stabilization fund, seeking professional advice about the best methods to protect funds and manage the endowment over the years. It was suggested that this be done in conjunction with the preparation of a business plan for the AAU. 
 

The group ended their presentation by reviewing the Vision and the Strategic Plan provided to participants at the meeting and commended the Secretary General and Staff for this effort. The group said that they strongly endorse the Secretary General's process and plans for the strategic planning exercise. (For the full text of this groups' deliberations see Appendix XV) 
 
 

6.2 THE PLENARY SESSION: GENERAL DISCUSSION ON THE GROUP REPORTS 
 

• •The session lauded the idea of cost-sharing as a way out of some of the problems faced by African Universities. A reservation was expressed that we should abandon negative feelings about our problems and suggest viable solutions
• •Still on cost sharing, it was suggested that it should also involve the participation of governments, donor agencies and the private sector as well
• •It was suggested that institutions should be created, with viable revolving funds that will take care of the funding problems that the African Universities are facing. Within these, the bursary system can be in-built
• •The issue of management of resources was touched upon, and it was emphasized that there is a need for more effective and efficient use of resources
• •In order to maintain autonomy, universities should devise ways and means of contributing to at least 40 % of the required funds in teaching and research
• •The role of the alumni and the students themselves in cost sharing was highlighted. An example was given where students could be employed within the universities so as to earn in order to pay
• •It was insisted that strategic development plans should be drawn up by the member universities in which major issues such as gender equity are included
• •Participants advocated the use of ICT to promote distance education and the development of relevant content
• •The question of the official languages used by AAU was raised by a number of delegates, especially those from Portuguese and Arabic-speaking countries. The Secretary General assured the members that this issue had been discussed in depth in various AAU seatings, and that a plan of action was being drawn up
• •A call was made for the need to synthesize and prioritize all the recommendations from the group reports so as to make such recommendations available at the end of the conference