PROTOCOL

• Your Excellency, Francia Márquez, Vice-President of the Republic of Colombia,
• Your Excellency, Yesenia Olaya, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Colombia,
• Honorable Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Excellencies, Ambassadors, and distinguished guests,
• Prof. Oscar Domínguez is the Executive Director of the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN) and Vice-President of OBREAL
• Professor Brigitte Baptiste, Rector of Universidad EAN,
• Professor Olubukola Babalola, Vice President for Africa of Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World,
• Prof. Olusola Oyewole, Secretary General of the Association of African Universities,
• Representatives from CAMES, IUCEA, SARUA and Others
• Dear Vice Chancellors and higher education actors from across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe,
• Colleagues from the AFrican Union Commmission
• Colleagues from OBREAL
• Dear students
• Ladies and gentlemen.

It is with great honour that I address you today in the vibrant city of Bogotá, on behalf of His Excellency Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and the fifty-five Member States of our Union.

I begin by expressing our deepest gratitude to the Government and people of the Republic of Colombia for their warm welcome, their willingness to prioritize partnership with Africa, and their exemplary stewardship of this historic gathering. Your generosity, hospitality, vision, and unwavering commitment to South–South solidarity and interregional academic cooperation are deeply appreciated and fully reciprocated by the African Union.

I also wish to commend OBREAL Global for its steadfast leadership in convening this unique platform, and to acknowledge the invaluable support provided by the Association of Colombian Universities (ASCUN), as well as many other higher education stakeholders across Colombia and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

This Dialogue’s credibility and momentum are also rooted in the foundational work of key actors who have nurtured its vision from the outset. I wish to particularly acknowledge the pivotal role played by the former Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation at the African Union Commission, His Excellency Professor Mohamed Belhocine, whose leadership during the African Year of Education 2024 laid the institutional groundwork for today’s gathering.

Equally, I extend our appreciation to Professor Ramón and the entire OBREAL team, whose strategic foresight and tireless coordination have transformed this initiative into a trusted platform for interregional co-creation, mutual learning, and concrete partnership among Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe.

Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen

The strong presence here of Africa’s higher education bodies  including, but not limited to, the Association of African Universities (AAU), the Conseil Africain et Malgache pour l’Enseignement Supérieur (CAMES), the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA), the Association of Maghreb Universities, the Pan African University (PAU), the Inter-University Council for Eastern Africa (IUCEA), and many others; demonstrates that this Dialogue is both aspirational and deeply grounded in continental structures and agency. This collective ownership significantly enhances its legitimacy and increases its chances of delivering concrete and sustainable outcomes.

To the organizers of this third edition of the Dialogue, I say Muchas gracias.

On a personal note, although this is my first time in this country, it is not my first encounter with this initiative. Since its inception in Buenos Aires in 2023, and through its second iteration in Addis Ababa during the African Year of Education in 2024, I have had the privilege of contributing to its evolution, first as Executive Secretary of IUCEA, and now as Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation of the African Union.

This continuity, beyond my personal commitment, reflects even more importantly the high-level priority that the African Union accords to interregional knowledge exchange as a catalyst for transformation.

Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

Just moments ago, we were inspired by the pre-recorded message from Her Excellency Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and by the powerful address from Her Excellency Francia Márquez, Vice President of the Republic of Colombia.

Both addresses rightly reminded us that the 21st century must be one of multipolarity, a century where excellence and innovation are nurtured across all regions, not dictated from a single centre. In particular, Her Excellency the Deputy Chairperson echoed the call for concrete mechanisms: joint research, mutual recognition of qualifications, student mobility, and co-developed digital ecosystems;  all of which fully resonate with the African Union’s strategic direction that values people-to-people exchange.

Indeed, education lies at the very heart of Agenda 2063 and our newly launched African Union Decade of Education and Skills Development (2025–2034). Guided by the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2026–2035) and the African Continental TVET Strategy (2025–2034), we are mobilizing unprecedented political will and resources to transform human capital into the engine of industrialization, climate resilience, gender equality, and inclusive growth.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen

You may agree with me that our shared challenges like climate disruption, digital divides, youth unemployment, and persistent inequities, know no borders. They demand collective intelligence, shared ownership, and equal partnership.

This Dialogue embodies that spirit. It is more than a conference; it is a testament to what is possible when regions, grounded in shared histories of resilience, choose to move forward as equals.

Over the coming days, let us therefore focus on actionable pathways:

1. Advancing joint research in areas of common priority such as Bio economy, food security, renewable energy, and public health;
2. Expanding academic mobility and knowledge Exchenge;
3. Deepening policy peer learning on quality assurance, curriculum reform, and digital inclusion;
4. Forging Skills development and talent culltivation partnerships that align skills with real economies and empower young entrepreneurs, especially women.

The African Union stands ready to institutionalize these collaborations through our continental structures, including the higher education stakeholders present here from Africa and through our strategic partnerships with our Latin American and Caribbean counterparts.

Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen

As I conclude, I appeal to you to seize this unique opportunity to renew our sense of human solidarity and to advance toward tangible commitments; to co-design projects, co-invest in talent, and co-create a polycentric knowledge ecosystem that serves our peoples with dignity, equity, and mutual respect.

On behalf of the African Union Commission, I once again reaffirm our highest-level commitment to this shared journey. We wish to enter into a genuine partnership. We claim our rightful place as co-architects of a common future.

Thank you for your trust, your collaboration, and your vision.

Muchas gracias. Merci beaucoup.