The African Union Commission concluded its participation in the Third Interregional Dialogue on Education and Development, which brought together leaders from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe in Bogotá, Colombia, from November 3-7, 2025, to strengthen partnerships and build shared priorities in education, science, and innovation.

The AUC delegation was led by H.E. Prof. Gaspard Banyankimbona, Commissioner for ESTI, accompanied by Prof. Saidou Madougou, Director of ESTI, and Prof. Jean Koulidiati, Rector of the Pan African University.

In a video message during the opening session, H.E. Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the AUC, reaffirmed Africa’s commitment to reimagining partnerships beyond traditional North–South models. “Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean are natural partners, united by shared histories of resilience,” she said, emphasizing education as the foundation of interregional collaboration. H.E. Francia Márquez, Vice President of Colombia, also addressed participants.

In his opening remarks, Commissioner Banyankimbona outlined the AU’s vision for equal partnership, stating: “We claim our rightful place as co-architects of a common future.” He called for greater cooperation in joint research on bioenergy, food security, renewable energy, and public health, alongside enhanced academic mobility, quality assurance peer learning, and skills development aligned with real economies.

Building on this foundation, the AUC delegation demonstrated that Africa-LAC cooperation already delivers concrete results. On the second day of the conference, PAU Rector, Prof. Koulidiati highlighted the May 2024 residential program at the PAU Institute for Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES) in Tlemcen, Algeria, where three Argentine universities trained over 60 graduate students from 32 African countries in renewable energy, water management, climate adaptation, and GIS applications.

ESTI Director, Prof. Madougou offered reflections on “Building an Inclusive Future Together” following the day’s roundtable on universities as engines of interregional cooperation, and later joined a plenary on “Inclusive Education and Science for Development” alongside representatives of the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the Conseil Africain et Malgache pour l’Enseignement Supérieur (CAMES) the Inter-University Council of East Africa (IUCEA), the Southern African Regional University Association (SARUA) and the Association of Arab Universities (AARU).

A major milestone of the Dialogue was the signing of a Declaration of Intent between the AUC and Colombia’s Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, establishing a framework for collaboration in joint research, skills development, and student and researcher mobility, while promoting inclusive innovation responsive to community needs.

Throughout the Dialogue, Commissioner Banyankimbona emphasized polycentrism as a guiding principle for 21st-century cooperation. In a moment symbolizing Pan-African continuity, his closing session was moderated by H.E. Prof. Mohamed Belhocine, former ESTI Commissioner and current OBREAL Senior Advisor, whose leadership during the African Year of Education 2024 helped lay the institutional foundation for this initiative. “For too long, knowledge and innovation have been concentrated in one part of the world—mostly in the Global North,” the Commissioner stated. “That model is outdated, unjust, and no longer works.” He called for a polycentric future, recognizing all regions as equal centers of knowledge and creativity, noting that global challenges demand collective intelligence and shared responsibility.
Reflecting on the quality of engagement, the Commissioner noted his satisfaction, elaborating on how discussions were rich in substance, honest in assessing challenges, and inspiring in shaping a shared vision for the future.

The Third Interregional Dialogue was co-organized by OBREAL, the Government of Colombia, the African Union Commission, the Association of African Universities (AAU), and the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN), in partnership with the Government of Catalonia, DAAD, IDRC (Canada), and held alongside the UNESCO/OWSD General Assembly. The Dialogue builds on previous editions held in Buenos Aires (March 2023) and Addis Ababa (July 2024).

For media enquiries, please contact:
1. Ms Claudette Chancelle BILAMPASSI MOUTSATSI | ESTI Department- Pan African University | African Union Commission | E-mail: BilampassiC@africanunion.org | Tel: +251 11 518 2014/ +251 11 5182518 |
2. Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africanunion.org