MEDIA ADVISORY

STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP FOR THE PAN AFRICAN UNIVERSITY

INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

When: 4 - 6 March 2013

Where: African Union Headquarters, New AU Conference Centre (AUCC) Small Conference Hall 3, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Who: The Pan African University (PAU) Interim Rectorate in cooperation with the Department of Human Resources Science and Technology (HRST) of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the GIZ.

Objective: The workshop will provide a forum for the stakeholders of the higher education and science sector in Africa to review, give their input on the draft Strategic Plan, and ensure the sustainability of the PAU for the short, medium as well as the long term.

Participants: A group of international experts from AU member states and leading academic institutions in Africa and globally.

Background: The Pan African University (PAU) project is the culmination of the efforts of the African Union to contribute to the revitalization of higher education and research in Africa by nurturing quality and exemplifying excellence. The PAU is designed as a process of joint implementation of the Plan of Action for the Second Decade of Education for Africa (2006-2015) and the Consolidated Plan of Action for Science and Technology in Africa (CPA) (2006-2011). The Summits of Heads of State and Government of the African Union took decisions in July 2010 and July 2011, allocated the PAU five thematic fields to the five geographic regions of Africa, , as well as allocation of four of the themes to four member states of Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria and Algeria. PAU institutes in Cameroon and Kenya have already been operationalized and have admitted students in a limited number of programmes during the 2012/2013 academic year, while Nigeria and Algeria are preparing for their first academic activities in 2013. The PAU Statutes have been approved by the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in January 2013. Development of a strategic plan has has been on-going since November 2012 by an African and European expert, and the draft strategic plan is now ready for discourse and finalization.

Journalists are invited to cover the side event on 4 – 6 March 2013

For Further Information consult the AU website: www.au.int

Request for interviews should be directed to Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou, Senior Editorial Officer, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission, e-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org / esthertankou@yahoo.com , Tel: +251 911 3611 85.