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Association of African Universities
Association des Universités Africaines 
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University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
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1.2 Welcome Speech to H.E. The President of URT, by Prof. Andrew Siwela, AAU President 1.3 Formal Opening Address by HE Mr. Benjamin Mkapa, President of the URT 1.4 Vote of Thanks to H.E. The President of the URT by Dr. Dorothy L. Njeuma, Vice Chancellor, University of Buea, Cameroon
3.2 Women in Universities: Issues and Concerns Related to Access, Quality and Relevance by Dr. Florence Nyamu, Programme Manager, FAWE 3.3 Database on Thesis and Dissertations (DATAD) by Ms. Lisbeth Levy, Consultant, Ford and Rockefeller Foundations & Mrs. Mary Maseru-Behitsa, Reference Librarian, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 3.4 Discussion
4.2 Discussion
5.2 Sub-Theme 2: Information Communication Technology by Prof. A.D. Akinde, Head of Department, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 5.3 Sub-Theme 3: Access, Quality and Resource Management by Dr. F.N. Owako Deputy Commission Secretary, Commission for Higher Education, Nairobi, Kenya
7.2 Recommendations on the Quality, Access, and Capacity Building for Higher Education in Africa 7.3 Recommendations on Gender Issues in African Universities 7.4 Recommendations on Database on Thesis and Dissertations (DATAD) 7.5 Recommendations on Regional Co-operation in Graduate Training and Research 7.6 Recommendations on Information Communication Technology (ICT) 7.7 Recommendations on Access, Quality and Resource Management
8.2 Formal Closing Address by Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Hon. Dr. P. Ng'wandu 8.3 A Vote of Thanks by Prof. M.L. Luhanga, Vice Chancellor, University of Dar es Salaam
AAU - Association of African Universities ACP - Africa, Carribean and Pacific ANSTI - African Network of Science and Technology Institutions COREVIP - Conference of Rectors Vice Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities DATAD - Database on Thesis and Dissertations FAWE - Forum of African Women Educationalists H.E. - His Excellency ICT - Information and Communication Technology NEDA - The Netherlands Cultural Cooperation, Education and Research Department NORAD - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation OAU - Organisation of African Unity SADDC - Southern African Economic Development Cooperation SIDA/SAREC - Swedish International Development Agency of Research Cooperation UDSM - University of Dar es Salaam UNECA - United Nations Economic Commission on Africa UNESCO - The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation URT - United Republic of Tanzania VC - Vice Chancellor
In the course of the organization of the COREVIP'99, many institutions,
organizations and individuals generously supported the conference. We would
particularly like to mention the following for their support:
· The Swedish International Development Agency, SIDA/Department of Research Cooperation, SAREC · The Netherlands Cultural Cooperation Education and Research Department, NEDA · The Carnegie Corporation of New York · The Organization of African Unity, OAU · The United Nations Agency for Science and Culture, UNESCO/Africa Bureau, BREDA The African Network of Science and Technology Institutions, ANSTI, and
the Project for Information Access and Connectivity, PIAC, contributed
in the organization of a parallel workshop and a plenary session.
The Keynote Speaker and the speakers to the sub-themes contributed their
knowledge and experience by producing and presenting to the conference
the main working papers.
To all institutions and individual persons mentioned and not mentioned
above, and on behalf of the entire AAU membership, we wish to register
our profound gratitude for their support.
The Conference of the Rectors, Vice Chancellors and Presidents of African
Universities, COREVIP'99, was held in Arusha, Tanzania from 1st
to 4th February 1999. A total of 204 delegates from 39 countries, took
part in this conference which was formally opened by HE Mr. Benjamin William
Mkapa, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania. The main thrust
of the President's opening speech was that a new partnership must be forged
between African Governments and African Universities in the coming century.
The speech insisted that new and more stringent strategies were needed
for managing African Universities. Furthermore, the President emphasized
the crucial role of capacity building, self-reliance, quality improvement
and high standards of performance as African universities enter the 21st
century.
The Keynote Address delivered by Dr. Lalla Ben-Barka, Deputy Executive
Secretary, UNECA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, charged that at the dawn of the
new millennium it is appropriate and timely for Africans to consider the
challenges and future of their universities in terms of quality and quantity;
challenges which go side by side with issues of capacity building, including
internal management capacity. The address emphasized that it was important
to have a holistic approach to the problem of the revitalisation of the
African universities.
The address was followed by a session on the presentation of the main
reports. Report one on the World Conference on Higher Education was presented
by Prof. Lydia Makhubu, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Swaziland.
Besides advocating the need to "step up contribution in the promotion of
peace", it was reported too that the conference had discussed the framework
for regional collaboration, quality and quantity matters in education,
the problem of female students from underprivileged rural communities,
methods of teaching and learning; and funding and resources in African
universities.
The second report was presented by Dr. Florence Nyamu, Programme Manager,
FAWE. The report dealt with Issues and Concerns Related to Access, Quality
and Relevance vis a vis the position of women in African universities.
The presentation singled out the question of gender equity, after which
it tackled the issue of women positions in university administration and
management, charging that the pathetic situation of gender imbalance in
this regard needs to be redressed. Finally, the presentation gave an elaborate
list of FAWE's programme for tertiary education which include policy and
research-based activities, capacity building activities and supporting
networking with like-minded organizations. The presentation underlined
the need to revamp research capacities and to link research, policy and
practice.
Delivered by the AAU Secretary General as a biannual report covering
the January 1997-December 1998 period, the next report was AAU Mid Term
Report on the Implementation of the Core Programme. The presentation 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, and Gender Sensitization.
Regarding gender sensitization, for example, 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.
A major part of the presentation was on the vision of 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,
over dependency on donor funds, the form/structure and mode of functioning,
and the guiding philosophy of AAU in the wake of the next millennium, were
highlighted.
Next followed the Report on Database on Thesis and Dissertations (DATAD)
presented by Ms. Lisbeth Levy, Consultant, Ford Foundation and Rockefeller
Foundation & Mrs. Mary Materu-Behitsa from the University of Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania. Basically, the presenters rationalised the concept of
DATAD showing how important it is to African scholarship. They listed the
underlying principles indicating how there is a critical need to get research
on and by Africans into the global knowledge pool. In this, the presenters
submitted that DATAD could play a very crucial role.
The presentation of the special reports was followed by a consideration
of different conference sub-themes which insisted on the need for regional
cooperation in graduate training and research, the necessity of using Information
Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching and research activities in African
universities; and the importance of considering issues of access, quality
and resource management when deliberating on the position of African universities
in the next millennium.
The last phase of COREVIP'99 comprised group discussions and presentations.
While all groups discussed the Opening Speech, each of the groups was assigned
special tasks. Group One deliberated on Regional Cooperation in Graduate
Training and Research, while Group Two examined Sub-theme 2 and the short
presentations on the Essential Electronic Agricultural Library and Use
of ICT in Higher Education. Group Three looked at Sub-theme 3, and short
presentations on women in universities and survey of quality assessment
and assurance systems in selected institutions, while the last group made
a follow-up from the themes of the business session.
Finally, during the plenary session, the participants drew general conclusions and recommendations accruing from the group presentations. The conclusions and recommendations focussed on issues of quality, relevance, funding, equity and regional/international cooperation with the basic aim of formulating strategies for the 21st Century which would revitalize universities in Africa. |
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