Welcoming remarks by Mr Getachew Engida, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the Conference of the Pan-African University of Adwa Adwa, Ethiopia, 23 April 2018 Your Excellency Mr Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Your Excellency Mr Hailemariam Desalegn, Former Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, Your Excellency Mr Yoweri Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, Your Excellency Mr Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, Excellencies, Honourable Ministers Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Page 1-25/04/2018
It is an honour and a great pleasure for me to be with you today to participate in this international Conference to celebrate an ambition and the fulfilment of a dream for our entire continent: the establishment of the Pan-African University of Adwa. The location of this University is rich in symbolism and significance. It stands for our resistance to colonialism; our fight to reassert our identities and our history. Indeed, the victory of His Majesty Menelik II's troops in Adwa is a seminal chapter in African history, one that must be preserved and passed onto future generations. Before its time, this event defined what became the spirit of the African Union, as celebrated in the opening words of its anthem: "Let us all unite and celebrate together, The victories won for our liberation. Above all, the Pan-African University symbolizes a vision one that affirms knowledge and its creation as the future wealth of our continent; as the driver of sustainable development, as the path to generating solutions to fight poverty and insecurity. 25/04/2018-12:49:52 - Page 2
UNESCO has always accompanied Africa in the fight against all forms of oppression. Africa is a global priority for the Organization. Our General History of Africa a monumental project of intellectual and scientific cooperation spanning close to 40 years of scholarship has resulted in eight volumes with a ninth one expected this year, and a more recent project to translate its contents into a common curricula for schools. This is about transmitting our shared cultural heritage and values, about celebrating our cultural diversity, our immense contribution to humanity, and integrating the ideals of pan-africanism in young minds, This Institution sees the day at a time when the landscape of higher education is undergoing unprecedented transformation. There is first the pressure of huge demand between 2000 and 2013, student enrolment increased by 92% in Africa, from 6.2 million to 12.2 million. 25/04/2018-12:49:52 - Page 3
Student mobility is on the rise - an increase in 75% over the same period - and the mobility rate of students in Africa is twice as high as the world average for multiple reasons from lack of facilities or subject specialization to displacement caused by conflict. It is against this backdrop that UNESCO, the only UN agency with a mandate in higher education, is accompanying Member States to modernize regional normative instruments on the recognition of studies, certificates, diplomas and other academic qualifications in higher education. This was marked in Africa by the adoption of the Addis Convention in 2014, which will come into force when ratified by ten Member States. We are in course of working on a Global Convention on Higher Education Qualifications to further facilitate academic mobility, improve quality and enhance international cooperation, for adoption at our 40th General Conference in 2019. We are also supporting quality assurance mechanisms to strengthen higher education on the African continent these are imperative in the face of the burgeoning diversity of providers. 25/04/2018-12:49:52 - Page 4
All these efforts aim to build strong higher education systems that are geared to innovate, to respond to economic, environmental and social challenges. This calls for innovative interdisciplinary study programmes, creative, collaborative research agendas, professional training programmes, better connections between research and policy. The Pan African University aims to encourage joint research at regional and global level, with an initial focus on the humanities, social sciences and informational sciences. The institution is driven by an ethos of solidarity, a vision to persistently strive to make a united Africa a reality, and a society at peace with itself and the world. This is a vision aligned with the Africa Union s Agenda 2063, and with UNESCO s mandate of peacebuilding through intellectual exchange. Through our vast network of Chairs and networks, combined with our technical expertise UNESCO stands ready to support this unique project. Next week, from 26 to 28 April, UNESCO s World Heritage Centre is organizing in close collaboration with the African World Heritage Fund, a workshop in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, on World Heritage & Educational Institutions in Africa. 25/04/2018-12:49:52 - Page 5
The event will mark a major milestone in the involvement of African educational institutions in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. It is our sincere hope that the Pan African University will participate in heritage related issues in Africa, especially through research, documentation, and non-formal education. By doing so, we will create a critical mass of knowledge within Africa that can address effectively the numerous challenges of safeguarding our priceless heritage, and transmitting it from one generation to the next. This is our pride and our responsibility! Thank you for your attention! 25/04/2018-12:49:52 - Page 6