Partners

About the Partnerships Office

The AAU Partnerships Office was established at the AAU Secretariat in Accra, Ghana in July 2022 to streamline the Association’s numerous partnerships to conform with the Association’s strategic objectives in its Strategic Plan and that of major development goals on the continent.

Vision

To drive strategic partnerships that empower African universities to achieve excellence, innovation, and global competitiveness in higher education.

Mission

To forge and nurture impactful partnerships with academic institutions, governments, private sector entities, and international organizations, thereby enhancing the capacity of African universities to deliver world-class education, foster research and innovation, and contribute to the sustainable development of Africa.

Objectives

The Partnership Office aims to:

Facilitate Collaboration

Create and support partnerships that bring together diverse stakeholders to collaborate on projects and initiatives that improve higher education in Africa.

Promote Sustainability and Inclusion:

Advocate for sustainable practices and inclusive policies in higher education.

Enhance Research and Innovation

Promote and support research activities, innovation, and technological advancements through collaborative efforts.

Support Policy Development

Assist in the development and implementation of policies that enhance the quality of education and research in Africa.

Strengthen Educational Capacity

Build the capacity of African higher education institutions through training, leadership development, and resource mobilization.

Foster Global Engagement

Encourage international cooperation and exchanges to bring global perspectives and resources to African higher education.

AAU Nodal Offices

AAU African Regional Offices

Eastern Africa Regional Office (EARO)

The AAU Eastern Africa Regional Office is hosted by the University of Khartoum in Sudan. The office was inaugurated in March 2018 in Khartoum with a mission to increase the impact of AAU in East Africa and also maximise the benefits of AAU to its members in the region.

Southern Africa Regional Office (SARO)

The AAU Southern Africa Regional Office will be inaugurated in September 2024. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 22nd September 2023.

Contact: Mrs. Semukeliso Gono - Director, International Programs & Global Initiatives. Designate Officer, Association of African Universities Southern Africa Regional Office (AAU SARO), Women's University in Africa.
Email: sgono@wua.ac.zw
Tel: WhatsApp: +263 772216806

Northern Africa Regional Office (NARO)

The AAU Northern Africa Regional Office, located at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, was established in March 2019. Its mission is to improve the quality and relevance of higher education across the North African subregion and strengthen its contribution to the continent's development.

Activities

Virtual Event: Introduction of Women's University in Africa as host of AAU Southern Africa Regional Office (SARO), 31 July 2024
Workshop: Education without Borders: Fostering International Partnerships in Africa Higher Education – Harare, Zimbabwe, 26 - 28 September 2024
Hybrid Event: Launch of the AAU Southern African Regional Office, Women's University in Africa – Harare, Zimbabwe, 29 September 2024

AAU International Offices

Europe Regional Office

The European Regional Office is hosted by the University of Nottingham, UK. It was inaugurated on 6th March 2024 following a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 26 January 2023.

Contact: Professor Juliet Thondhlana SFHEA. UNESCO Chair in International Education and Development. Head, Association of African Universities Europe Regional Office. Co-Convenor, Centre for International Education Research. Lead, School Global Engagement, School of Education
Website: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/aau/
Email: Juliet.Thondhlana@nottingham.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0) 115 951 5151

Activities

Launch of the AAU European Regional Office University of Nottingham – Nottingham, UK, 6 March 2024 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC6grEJ6DiI
AAU-UoN British Academy Writing Workshop for Sub-Saharan Africa – Accra, Ghana, 12-14 March 2023
Webinars

Data Ethics Webinar Series: #Data1 - Ethics Policy in Higher Education https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YtQlQYCLVU
Data Ethics & Human Rights in the Platform Economy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUXd9zhsPGs
The Ethics of AI & Data in Higher Education https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTsfCdgp54g
Unveiling Bias – Navigating Gender Disparities in Data and AI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZGYJ-XhisQ

Latin America Regional Office (LARO)

The Latin America Regional Office (LARO) is hosted by Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) whose offices are located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The AAU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UFRJ on 25th April 2024.

Contact: Prof. Papa Matar Ndiaye

Activities

The AAU inaugurated its LARO on 25th April 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ5nX2ludk0

AAU Partnerships with Collegiate Networks

The China Association of Higher Education (CAHE)

The Chinese secretariat for the China-Africa Consortium of Universities Exchange Mechanism was established in August 2023. It is jointly operated by the Graduate School of Education and the School of African Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University. Under the Ministry of Education's guidance, it coordinates the China-Africa Hundred Universities cooperation plan. The secretariat promotes academic exchanges, research, and digital platforms to strengthen China-Africa higher education collaboration and global influence.
Contact: Dr. Xu Mo
Website: https://cacu.bfsu.edu.cn/ Email: xumo050@bfsu.edu.cn

Activities

The World University Presidents Forum (WUPF) in Beijing (July 2023) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se6zMqmwQ8U
The China-Africa Development Knowledge Symposium in Beijing (August 2023)
The Annual International Forum on Higher Education (AIFHE) held in Xiamen, Fujian Province (December 2023)
The 2024 World Digital Education Conference held in Shanghai (January 2024)
First Exchange Mechanism Conference of the China-Africa Consortium of Universities and China-Africa Higher Education Forum, Beijing, China 5 – 7 September 2024 https://cheiw.cahe.edu.cn/weben/
China International Higher Education Week, Beijing, China 10 - 15 October 2024. https://cheiw.cahe.edu.cn/weben/

Latin American and Caribbean Space for Higher Education (ENLACES)

The AAU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ENLACES

Association of Colombian Universities (ASCUN)

The AAU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ASCUN

AAU Project Partners

African Digital Library Support Network
African Jobs Board
Afrobarometer
AISECT Ltd
Centre for Pregnancy and Childbirth Education (CePaCE)
Institute of International Education (IIE)

International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST)
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
OBREAL Global
Public Library of Science
Resource for Development (RFD)
Science Granting Council Initiatives (SGCI)

Steinbeis Europa Zentrum
Taylor and Francis Group
Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa)
UbuntuNet Alliance for Research and Education Networking
West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL)
World Association for Sustainable Development (WASD)

AAU Partnerships with Universities

University of Toronto, Canada
Universidad Nacional de Hurlingham
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)