21 to 22 November 2018, AUC Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Following the meeting of the PAU Strategic Planning Committee held on 5 September 2018 aiming at discussing on and providing inputs to further develop the Pan African University, a validation workshop was organized in order to adopt the PAU guiding policy for the next years.

It should be recalled that the PAU Strategic Planning (SP) document was established by the African Union Commission in 2012 and presents a five-year plan for the Pan African University (PAU). This plan was reviewed and enriched by several stakeholders including AUC partners (EU and GIZ) and four international senior consultants, who worked intensively on the first draft. This draft was thereafter carefully reviewed and further developed by a team of experts, namely Prof. Berhanu Abegaz, Prof. Damtew Teferra and Bart Fonteyne and subject to validation by PAU stakeholders.

During the two-day Validation Workshop, the plan was reviewed and validated by relevant stakeholders and the higher education community in Addis Ababa. Participants included, Beatrice Khamati Njenga (Head of Education at the African Union Commission), Prof. Pierre Dominique Nzinzi (President of the PAU Council), host country representatives from Algeria, government representatives from South Africa, representatives from the RECs, international partners and experts from African and international Higher Education institutions (African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture, United Nations University, etc) were present.

The three core functions of the PAU Strategic Planning along with their objectives and targets were reviewed they include:
-Human resource development
- Research Development, and
- Integration and outreach

With regard to Human resource development, the main objectives include ensuring that PAU students are employed (public or private sectors) or self-employed. It also entailed delivering high quality, practice-oriented and research based programmes.

Concerning Research Development, the main objectives include developing solutions and innovations in prioritized development-oriented research areas for Africa’s growth and sustainable development, undertaking national, regional and pan African policy-related research and building capacity to provide advisory services in priority areas of Agenda 2063.

Regarding Integration and outreach, three objectives have been defined: the first objective is to ensure that PAU contributes to Pan African and international knowledge production and innovation transfer capacity through academic collaboration, mobility and dialogue formats in the pursuit of excellence and relevance. The second involves ensuring that PAU establishes partnerships with policy-makers, the public and private sector within Africa, the diaspora and internationally to advance knowledge transfer, exchange and innovation. The last objective of this area involves the promotion of African Integration within the organization and its outreach activities.

The 100-long-long document was validated and will be submitted for adoption to PAU Council that shall meet in December 2018.

For further information please contact:
Chancelle Bilampassi Moutsatsi
E-mail: BilampassiC@africa-union.org

For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I Mrs Esther Tankou Azaa | Head of Information Division | Tel: (251) 11 551 77 00 | Fax: (251) 11 551 78 44 | E-mail: YambouE@africa-union.org | and Chancelle Bilampassi Moutsatsi BilampassiC@africa-union.org I Web: www.au.int | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia.