The Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, H.E. Dr Martial De Paul Ikounga signed a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary General of the Association of African Universities (AAU), Professor Etienne Ehouan Ehile. AAU is the voice of higher education in Africa, and has been a lead agency in implementing the continental vision since its founding under the OAU. The MOU replaces one signed in 2007. AU Agenda 2063 calls for an education and skills revolution in order to meet the human resource needs for actualising Africa’s social economic development. The African university occupies a strategic role in ensuring that our education systems are oriented towards promoting innovation, critical thinking, pan Africanism and entrepreneurial orientations, while addressing Africa’s challenges and optimising on its opportunities. The partnership between the AUC and the AAU over the last decade has witnessed the strengthening of the African higher education space through promotion of intra-African academic mobility, harmonisation of qualifications for mutual recognition across Member States; and promotion of a culture of continuous quality improvement through the AU’s African Quality Rating Mechanism. The AAU has been able to mobilise African academia to appropriate the continental vision of Agenda 2063, as it has helped to build accountable leadership and quality in research and scholarship.

To implement the MOU, the AAU has agreed on a road map with the AUC, which takes into consideration the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25) and the Science, technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA), as well as Continental Strategy on TVET as guiding frameworks that reflect Agenda 2063. Scheduled activities include collaboration in the operationalization of the Pan African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework and promotion of Africa scholarly excellence and Africa’s contribution to the global knowledge pool. The road map also includes collaboration in the development of an African Credit System; finalisation of Continental Qualification Frameworks that cover all levels and sub-sectors of education and training, and the launching of the CESA Thematic Cluster on Higher Education. The AUC congratulates the AAU as it plans to celebrate its 50^th Anniversary in July 2017 during the AAU General Conference and biennial Conference of African Rectors and Vice Chancellors. Commendation is due also to the government of Ghana, which has built new headquarters premises for the AAU in Accra.