Advocating for Stronger Higher Education Cooperation in Africa at UNESCO Forum
The International Association of Universities (IAU) was proud to be represented at the recent UNESCO Forum on Higher Education in Africa: A Driver for Sustainable Development, a major event that brought together higher education institutions, youth leaders, skills providers, and development partners from across the continent. Held under UNESCO’s global priority on Africa and aligned with Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want – the Forum provided a vital space to reflect on how Africa’s higher education ecosystem is helping to address sustainable development challenges at local, national, and regional levels.
Professor Jouhaina Gherib, IAU Vice President and UNESCO Chairholder for Higher Education and Sustainable Development in Africa, took part in the Forum as a session moderator, reinforcing IAU’s commitment to promoting equitable and inclusive higher education systems worldwide. She led Round Table 2: Supporting Student and Academic Mobility and Inter-University Cooperation within the Higher Education Sector across Africa, a session that explored how collaboration across institutions can be strengthened to ensure more accessible, resilient, and future-oriented higher education opportunities.
The round table featured contributions from leading experts and practitioners, including:
Dr. Philip Machoka, Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning Initiative Project, United States International University - Africa Online
Dr. Dominique Dumet, Scientific Adviser for Africa, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) for East Africa
Professor Armand Claude Abanda, UNESCO Chairholder on “Strategic and Institutional Partnership for Access of Youth and Women to ICTs in Africa,” Cameroon
Together, panelists addressed challenges and opportunities for cross-border academic exchanges, regional harmonization of qualifications, and the role of digital learning in expanding access. Their discussion contributed to the broader goals of the Forum, which was also organized as a follow-up to the 2022 World Higher Education Conference and guided by UNESCO’s Higher Education Roadmap – Transforming Higher Education: A roadmap to advance towards 2030 and beyond.
The event also marked the 10th anniversary of the Revised Addis Convention on the recognition of academic qualifications in African States and reaffirmed the global education community’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its pledge to leave no one behind.
IAU’s active participation in this Forum reflects its continued advocacy for inclusive, quality higher education and regional cooperation as essential drivers of sustainable development. Through its global network and dedicated work in Africa, the IAU supports institutions in developing transformative strategies that are responsive to both local realities and global challenges.
