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“We are not here simply to announce a conference. We are gathered here to begin a continental conversation about the future of Africa.”
With these remarks, the Secretary General of the Association of African Universities (AAU), Prof. Olusola Bandele Oyewole, officially launched the 24th Conference of Rectors, Vice-Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities (COREVIP 2027), and the AAU’s 60th Anniversary celebrations (AAU@60), commemorating six decades of advancing higher education across Africa.
Held virtually on 28 July 2026, the launch brought together university leaders, policymakers, development partners, researchers and other key higher education stakeholders from across Africa and beyond. More than the official launch of the AAU’s flagship conference, the event signaled the beginning of a continent-wide conversation on how African universities can reposition themselves to drive resilience, relevance, and global impact.
Welcoming participants, Dr Felicia Nkrumah Kuagbedzi, Acting Coordinator for ICT, Communications and Knowledge Management at the AAU, described the occasion as more than a ceremonial launch and the beginning of a new journey for African higher education.
“Today marks more than a ceremonial launch. It marks the beginning of a journey towards reimagining what African universities can and must become in the decades ahead,” she remarked.
Founded in Rabat, Morocco, in 1967, the AAU has since served as the trusted continental platform connecting African universities, governments, regional bodies, and global higher education partners. Today, the Association champions institutional development, quality assurance, research and innovation, leadership development, policy advocacy, and regional collaboration, positioning itself as a leading voice for higher education across the continent.
Repositioning Universities for Africa’s Future
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Oyewole challenged African universities to rethink their role in shaping the continent’s future. He pointed to Africa’s youthful population, abundant natural resources, expanding digital ecosystem, and cultural diversity as sources of unprecedented opportunities that can only be realised through universities that are resilient, innovative, and responsive to the continent’s evolving priorities.
He called on institutions to move beyond their traditional role as degree-awarding institutions and become centres of knowledge creation, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving. This transformation, he explained, will require stronger institutional resilience, responsible adoption of emerging technologies, deeper collaboration with industry, and curricula that equip graduates with the skills required for the future.
Prof. Oyewole further urged universities to embrace a series of strategic shifts, from isolation to collaboration and from consumers of knowledge to producers of it, noting that these priorities will shape the conversations and outcomes of COREVIP 2027.
COREVIP 2027: A Platform for Collective Action
Providing an overview of the conference, Mr Ransford Bekoe, Chief of Staff of the COREVIP 2027 Committee, described COREVIP as the AAU’s flagship higher education leadership forum and one of the continent’s foremost platforms for dialogue on the future of African universities.
Building on more than three decades of convening university leaders and key stakeholders, COREVIP 2027 will focus on five strategic pillars:
- Future-ready universities
- Research, innovation and African solutions
- Resilient and sustainable universities
- Ethical leadership and excellence
- Global African higher education partnerships
Scheduled to take place from 20 to 23 July 2027 at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, with KCA University serving as the host institution, COREVIP 2027 will provide the platform for these discussions under the theme, “Universities for Africa’s Future: Repositioning African Universities for Resilience, Relevance and Global Impact.”
The conference is expected to draw over 1,000 university leaders, ministers of education, industry partners and youth representatives, alongside a continental policy platform anticipated to attract heads of state, prime ministers and development banks. Click to Register for the Conference .
Partners Reaffirm Commitment to African Higher Education
The launch attracted strong support from international and continental partners, reflecting the growing recognition of higher education as a strategic driver of Africa’s development.
Speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of KCA University, Prof. Vincent O. Onywera, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Partnerships, reaffirmed the University’s readiness to welcome Africa’s higher education community to Nairobi for COREVIP 2027. He expressed pride in KCA University’s role as the host institution and affirmed the University’s commitment to delivering a world-class conference experience.
Representing the European Commission, Ms Deirdre Lennan, Head of Sector for Human Development at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships, highlighted the European Union’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with African universities through investments that integrate education, research, innovation, and skills development with broader development priorities.
President of OBREAL Global, Prof. Ramon Torrent Maccau, underscored the importance of empowering African Universities’ to lead the continent’s higher education agenda, while the Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), Professor John Owusu Gyapong, also reaffirmed ARUA’s readiness to work with the AAU in advancing higher education across the continent.
Launching the Journey to Nairobi 2027
The event culminated in the official unveiling of the COREVIP 2027 visual identity, including the conference logo, the AAU@60 commemorative logo, anniversary fabric, promotional videos, and the official conference website, formally launching the journey to Nairobi.
Participants were introduced to the conference roadmap and key engagement opportunities leading to July 2027, as the AAU invited universities, governments, development partners, industry, researchers, students, and the wider higher education community to contribute to shaping the conference and the future of African higher education.
Bringing the launch to a close, Professor Puleng Lenkabula, Vice Chancellor of the University of South Africa (UNISA) and a member of the AAU Governing Board, congratulated the AAU on six decades of service to African higher education, calling it “an enduring and innovative scientific association at the centre of propelling Africa’s science and innovation.”
With the official conference website now live and registration open, the AAU is inviting member institutions, partners, and higher education stakeholders to begin preparations for Nairobi 2027. The launch has set in motion a shared continental journey, one that will celebrate sixty years of collective progress while bringing Africa’s higher education community together to define the universities the continent needs for the future. Click to Register for the Conference.
