Rentrée Solennelle (Matriculation) of the Pan-African Universities

Rentrée Solennelle (Matriculation) of the Pan-African Universities

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, November 14, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

When: 10 – 13 December 2012

Where: Yaoundé, Republic of Cameroon

Who: The Department of Human Resource Science and Technology (HRST) of the African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Cameroon.

Why: Rentré Solennelle (Matriculation) is an important event in the time table of every university, and generally happens at the beginning of every academic year. The purpose and value of this event is therefore common knowledge to the university community, and is generally to welcome new students and introduce them to the university's programmes, facilities and ethos, and to get them excited about becoming members of the particular university fraternity.

Objectives: Rentré Solennelle is an event for students, which aims to provide sufficient impetus to keep them focused and committed to the pursuit of excellence and to ensure that they achieve the purpose of their studentship.

Rentré Solennelle for the Pan African University in 2012 provides a unique opportunity for PAU stakeholders. This is an occasion for celebrating a major milestone not just for PAU development, but also for African higher education and research. As well, this is an opportunity to recall and share the lofty PAU vision, and hold ourselves accountable to its fulfillment, and to market the PAU vision, particularly to potential sponsors. For this reason, the Rentré Solennelle will be a special event for a unique University with a unique vision and mission, which we believe should influence all of higher education and research in Africa and beyond.

Participants: The invited guests will include:

• H.E Mr. Boni Yayi, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) and President of the Republic of Benin ;

• H.E Dr. Nkozasana Dlamini-Zuma , Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC)

• H.E Mr. Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon and host of the event;

• H.E Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;

• H.E Mr. Joachim Chissano, former President of the Republic of Mozambique;

• Ministers of higher education;

• Renown academicians;

• Students

• Member of the Diplomatic Corps in Cameroon, among others.

Background:

The Pan Africa University provides an opportunity for the continent to claim its rightful place in the global knowledge-based economy. In itself, the PAU is not an isolated new institution but one based on already existing centers across the continent, seeking to promote science and technology in Africa and a strong link between scientific research and economic development. While achieving this objective, the PAU will enhance the triple missions of modern universities around the world, namely; (i) education and training; (ii) research; and (iii) public service engagement, which in the case of the PAU, is the entire African continent.

The PAU is modeled on the creation of centers for excellence in the under listed thematic areas, with each geographical sub-region of Africa hosting a thematic component and serving as a coordinating hub for high quality centers developing similar programs on the continent.

The five thematic areas and the regional hubs of PAU are:

1 Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (Eastern Africa, with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya, as the host institution;

2 Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences (Central Africa, with University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon as the host institution);

3 Life and Earth Sciences, including health and agriculture (Western Africa, with University of Ibadan, Nigeria, as the host institution);

4 Water and Energy Sciences, including climate change (North Africa, with a host institution in Algeria);

5 Space sciences (Southern Africa, with a host institution yet to be identified).

It is envisaged that the PAU will facilitate the production of high quality graduates who are sufficiently skilled and knowledgeable not just in the arena of technical know-how but also equipped with the appropriate attitudes and mindsets to be retained on the continent - to make significant contributions to Africa's development.

The PAU initiative will enhance higher education collaboration with industry to enhance their relevance and contribution by addressing local challenges. It also aims at creating a privileged link with partners. There are specific Thematic Partners whose main goal is to facilitate a new type of cooperation, based on intellectual collaboration. Finally, the PAU initiative will also establish dynamic links with African Diaspora all over the world.

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