AAU pushes to expand activity and geographical base

By Ard Jongsma. The 13th General Conference of the Association of African Universities, or AAU, held in Libreville, Gabon last week, staked out the AAU’s path for the next four years. There is the promise of a 25% increase in project funding, a new composition of the board and presidencies and – perhaps most significantly – a strong push to strengthen the position of the association in Francophone Africa. Starting with the latter, the trend was already set last year, when Etienne Ehile of Côte d'Ivoire was installed as the association’s new secretary general after Olugbemiro Jegede. The choice of Gabon as the venue for the 13th assembly underlined these aspirations too. Read more...