A member of Penpushing platform, and former Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Agriculture (FUNNAB), Abeokuta, Professor Olusola Oyewole has been appointed as Secretary General for the Association of African Universities
Penpushing reports that, the appointment of Oyewole was announced by President of the Association of African Universities (AAU) Governing Board, Professor Antonio Orlando Quilambo (Rector of Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique).
The statement from the body said, the appointment takes effect from October 1, 2021, explaining that following a highly competitive recruitment process, Oyewole was chosen to take over the running of the 54-year-old association, from Professor Etienne Ehouan Ehile, an Ivorian higher education leader, who has led the association for the past nine years.
Penpushing further reports that the new Secretary General is a Nigerian Professor of Food Science and Technology, specifically Food Microbiology and Biotechnology, and known not new to the association.
The appointee has been a staff member of the association in the past, as well as a Board Member and President of the association, and is the former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Penpushing also reports that, Oyewole has worked as a Senior Expert in Higher Education for the African Union Commission in Ethiopia, while his work experiences at the national, regional and continental levels have endowed him with a wealth of knowledge in coordinating multinational research and development programs.
The Secretary General in his acceptance remarks during the virtual extra-ordinary general conference organized by the association, paid tribute to the out-going Secretary General, Professor Etienne Ehouan Ehile, saying that he was aware that he had “big shoes to fill”.
Penpushing reports that, Oyewole said he recognized Prof Ehile’s sterling work that saw the association increasing its visibility, decentralizing its functions through regional offices, diversifying the capacity building initiatives, identifying new partners, nurturing the relationship with the government of Ghana and continuing the advocacy to various stakeholders to support higher education in Africa.
The association scribe thanked the association of African Universities (AAU) Governing Board for the opportunity given to him to serve the body, adding that his vision is to amplify the relevance of the association of African Universities as the voice of higher education in Africa
Penpushing further reports that, Oyewole assured that during his term of office, his top focus areas will include identifying and implementing strategies for sustaining the association during and post the coronavirus era and helping African Universities to overcome the challenges of the virus
The Secretary General said that he deems the strategic collaborations and dialogues with development partners and other stakeholders as key for the successful future of the association.
“Without strong partnerships and collaborations, the association would be unable to achieve her grand mission of improving the quality of African Higher Education’, he noted.
‘Through honest, sincere, visionary, committed, transparent and disciplined leadership, I intend to build new strategic partnerships and revive old partnerships for the sustainability of the Association”, he added.
Penpushing also reports that, he stated that, through vibrant platforms for learning and knowledge exchange, he would ensure the building of the next generation of academics in Africa, stronger intellectual engagement and the full engagement of members and African Universities
The Association of African Universities is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization created by African Universities to promote cooperation among them on the one hand, and between them and the international academic community on the other.
Penpushing reports that, its created in 1967, and is the voice of higher education in Africa. aims to improve the quality of African higher education, and to strengthen its contribution to Africa’s development by supporting the core functions of higher education institutions and facilitating critical reflection and consensus building on issues affecting higher education.
The association’s headquarters is located in Accra, Ghana, and has a membership of more than 400 HEIs and has three regional offices – North Africa Regional Office (NARO) in Cairo, Egypt; East Africa Regional Office (EARO) in Khartoum, Sudan; and North America Office (NAMO) in Washington DC, USA.
Penpushing also reports that,the association is the technical implementing arm of the African Union in higher education – with coverage and mandate across the language divide of Africa, with influence in the Francophone, Anglophone, Lusophone and Arabophone regions.
The Association of African Universities (AAU) is the coordinating agency of the Higher Education Cluster of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25) of the African Union Commission (AUC), and through guidance, member universities are responsible for implementing the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2024) of the African Universities Commission(AUC)
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