AAU Leads Historic Addis Ababa Declaration on Arab-African Higher Education Cooperation

In line with its mission to advance international higher education partnerships, the Association of African Universities (AAU) has led African higher education institutions to adopt the Addis Ababa Declaration on Arab -African Higher Education Cooperation, which establishes a new framework for sustained collaboration among universities across Africa and the Arab world.

The Declaration was adopted during the Presidents’ Roundtable at the QS Africa Forum 2026 in Ethiopia, co-chaired by AAU’s Secretary-General, Prof. Olusola Oyewole, together with the Executive Director of the Association of Arab Universities (AArU), Dr. Anas Al Soud. The Forum brought together university presidents, vice-chancellors, rectors, and senior academic leaders to shape a common vision for strengthening institutional cooperation and addressing shared development priorities through higher education.

For the AAU, the Declaration reflects a longstanding belief that Africa’s higher education institutions must cultivate strong international partnerships to enhance their contribution to knowledge creation, innovation, and socio-economic transformation. While Africa and the Arab world share deep historical, cultural, and economic ties, collaboration between their universities requires further deepening. The Addis Ababa Declaration, therefore, provides a timely platform to unlock the immense opportunities for joint research, innovation, talent development, and institutional capacity building.

Recognising that Africa and the Arab world are home to the world’s youngest populations, the Declaration positions higher education as a catalyst for inclusive growth and sustainable development. It calls for stronger collaboration to address pressing challenges such as technological transformation, climate change, youth unemployment, food security, and other shared development priorities that transcend national borders.

To drive this vision, the Declaration identifies four strategic priorities that will guide the work of the newly established Arab-African Presidents Forum:

· Strengthening collaborative research and innovation among universities;

· Expanding capacity-building initiatives and academic mobility opportunities for young researchers;

· Promoting gender equality and leadership development within higher education; and

· Equipping young people with the skills and competencies required for the future world of work.

Beyond these priority areas, the Declaration reaffirms the partners’ commitment to building equitable institutional partnerships founded on shared ownership, mutual benefit, and long-term sustainability. It also emphasises the need to strengthen research and innovation ecosystems, enhance quality assurance mechanisms, improve institutional excellence, increase global visibility, expand knowledge production, and harness digital technologies – including Artificial Intelligence – to transform teaching, learning, and research.

The Declaration further underscores the importance of preparing graduates with future-ready competencies, including creativity, entrepreneurship, digital literacy, and adaptability, ensuring that higher education institutions remain responsive to rapidly evolving labour markets and societal needs.

Speaking on the significance of the Declaration, Prof. Olusola Bandele Oyewole noted that stronger collaboration between African and Arab universities will unlock new opportunities for knowledge exchange, research excellence, and institutional development, while supporting the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those relating to quality education and gender equality.

Implementation of the Declaration will begin with the inaugural meeting of the Arab-Africa Presidents Forum, to be convened alongside the QS Africa Forum 2027, after which the Forum will meet annually. As joint conveners, the AAU and the AArU, with the support of QS Quacquarelli Symonds, will develop a joint programme of work centred on the Declaration’s four strategic priorities.

The Declaration also remains open for endorsement by universities and higher education institutions across Africa and the Arab world. Institutions represented at the QS Africa Forum 2026 were invited to endorse the Declaration during the Forum, while others may subsequently do so through the Secretariats of the AAU and the AArU.

The AAU recognises that the Addis Ababa Declaration on Arab-African Higher Education Cooperation is far more than a statement of intent. It represents a strategic commitment to building bridges between two regions whose shared challenges demand shared solutions. By creating a permanent platform for dialogue, collaboration, and joint action, the Declaration advances AAU’s mission to strengthen higher education as a driver of Africa’s development while expanding meaningful partnerships beyond the continent.

As Africa’s leading voice for higher education, the AAU believes that the strongest universities are those that collaborate rather than compete. The Addis Ababa Declaration embodies that conviction – affirming that when African and Arab institutions combine their knowledge, talent, and innovation, they become far better equipped to shape resilient universities, transform societies, and create a more prosperous future for generations to come.