Pan-African University
Encyclopedia
The Pan-African University (PAU) is a post-graduate training and research network of university nodes in five regions, supported by the African Union
.
The new organization is also supported by the Association of African Universities
.
The attendees undertook to improve the quality of science and technology education, and saw that the PAU would be necessary to improve the quality of science education and thereby to improve productivity of African economies. These ideas were elaborated in a "concept note" which outlined the objectives of the PAU.
The African Union agreed on the PAU in July 2008 to give high-performing African students the opportunity for advanced graduate training and postgraduate research. PAU objectives also include promoting mobility of students and teachers and harmonizing program and degrees.
According to Kenyan Education Minister Sam Ongeri the PAU would also stimulate collaborative internationally competitive research and enhance the attractiveness of African higher education and research institutions.
East Africa is the regional node for basic sciences, technology and innovation, while West Africa focuses on earth and life sciences.
The Southern African node based in South Africa concentrates on space sciences.
This is connected with South Africa's bid to host the Square Kilometre Array
of radio telescopes.
A Central Africa hub in Cameroon focuses on social and human sciences and governance, and the North African node will study water and energy sciences.
Kenya was chosen as the host for the main East African node in July 2010. This decision was made at a conference in Addis Ababa of African Union Ministers of Education, and followed a protracted dispute over who would become host for the region.
In May 2011 it was decided that Algeria would be the host country for North Africa after Libya had withdrawn its bid.
In August 2011 Ruqayyah Ahmed Rufa'i
, the Nigerian Minister of Education, announced that the University of Ibadan
would host the Nigerian node, the PAU Institute of Earth and Life Sciences.
Operations were due to start in September 2011 at centres of excellence in Jomo Kenyatta University in Kenya, Ibadan University in Nigeria and the University of Yaoundé
in Cameroon.
In Algeria, it was decided to provide a separate campus. While this was being prepared, eleven universities had formed a network to support the PAU node.
The plan was to open the Algerian unit for 40 PhD and 50 master's students in September 2012.
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
.
The new organization is also supported by the Association of African Universities
Association of African Universities
The Association of African Universities was established in 1967 to facilitate co-operation between its members and with the international academic community. It is based in Accra, Ghana...
.
Foundation
The first African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology was held in 2003 in Johannesburg, South Africa.The attendees undertook to improve the quality of science and technology education, and saw that the PAU would be necessary to improve the quality of science education and thereby to improve productivity of African economies. These ideas were elaborated in a "concept note" which outlined the objectives of the PAU.
The African Union agreed on the PAU in July 2008 to give high-performing African students the opportunity for advanced graduate training and postgraduate research. PAU objectives also include promoting mobility of students and teachers and harmonizing program and degrees.
According to Kenyan Education Minister Sam Ongeri the PAU would also stimulate collaborative internationally competitive research and enhance the attractiveness of African higher education and research institutions.
Regional centers
Each region has different areas of specialization, with a regional node in one country and other countries hosting satellite campuses.East Africa is the regional node for basic sciences, technology and innovation, while West Africa focuses on earth and life sciences.
The Southern African node based in South Africa concentrates on space sciences.
This is connected with South Africa's bid to host the Square Kilometre Array
Square Kilometre Array
The Square Kilometre Array is a radio telescope in development which will have a total collecting area of approximately one square kilometre. It will operate over a wide range of frequencies and its size will make it 50 times more sensitive than any other radio instrument...
of radio telescopes.
A Central Africa hub in Cameroon focuses on social and human sciences and governance, and the North African node will study water and energy sciences.
Kenya was chosen as the host for the main East African node in July 2010. This decision was made at a conference in Addis Ababa of African Union Ministers of Education, and followed a protracted dispute over who would become host for the region.
In May 2011 it was decided that Algeria would be the host country for North Africa after Libya had withdrawn its bid.
In August 2011 Ruqayyah Ahmed Rufa'i
Ruqayyah Ahmed Rufa'i
Professor Ruqayyah Ahmed Rufa'i was appointed Nigerian minister of Education on 6 April 2010, when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan announced his new cabinet.Rufai was born in Ringim in Jigawa State,...
, the Nigerian Minister of Education, announced that the University of Ibadan
University of Ibadan
The University of Ibadan is the oldest Nigerian university, and is located five miles from the centre of the major city of Ibadan in Western Nigeria...
would host the Nigerian node, the PAU Institute of Earth and Life Sciences.
Operations
In September 2009 Jean-Pierre Ezin, African Union commissioner for science, said the node at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa could open as early as February 2010.Operations were due to start in September 2011 at centres of excellence in Jomo Kenyatta University in Kenya, Ibadan University in Nigeria and the University of Yaoundé
University of Yaoundé
The University of Yaoundé is a leading university in Cameroon, located in Yaoundé.It was built with the help of France and opened in 1962 as the Federal University of Yaoundé, dropping the "Federal" in 1972 when the country was reorganized....
in Cameroon.
In Algeria, it was decided to provide a separate campus. While this was being prepared, eleven universities had formed a network to support the PAU node.
The plan was to open the Algerian unit for 40 PhD and 50 master's students in September 2012.