ARUA 2023 BIENNIAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

THEME: Reimagining the Future of Higher Education in Africa

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WELCOME TO THE ARUA BIENNIAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023

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ARUA 2023 CONFERENCE BROCHURE (DOWNLOAD PDF)

ARUA CONFERENCE 2023 PICTURES

DAY 1 NOVEMBER 15TH 2023

DAY 2 NOVEMBER 16TH 2023

DAY 3 NOVEMBER 17TH 2023

VCs OF ARUA Member-Universities Arrive UNILAG Ahead of 2023 Bienniel Int’l Conference

The ViceChancellors of member-universities of African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) have arrived the University of Lagos, Nigeria, ahead of the body’s 2023 Biennial International Conference scheduled to hold from Wednesday, November 15 to Friday, November 17, 2023. Read more

15 - 17 of November 2023

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

Conference Opening: University of Lagos | Online

9:00am

Introductory Remarks:
Professor Grace Otinwa, Chair of Local Organising Committe.
Professor Ernest Aryeetey, ARUA Secretary-General.
Welcome Remarks:
Professor Folasade Ogunsola, Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos.
Remarks from the chair:
Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor, Makerere University and Board Chair, ARUA.

9:20am

Opening Ceremony:
Prof. Tahir Mamman, Hon. Minister of Education, Nigeria.

9:30am

First Keynote Address
Professor Adam Habib; Director, School of Oreintal and African Studies, London.
Title: "Reinventing Higher Education in the 21st Century: Bridging the Gap Between National Agendas and Transnatinal Challenges".

10:00am

Tea/Coffee Break.

10:30am

First Plenary Session
Theme: Understanding the changing Dynamics of Higher Education: A Global Perspective.
(Chair: Professor Folashade Ogunsola, Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos).
1. 1. Professor Daya Reddy, Vice Chancellor(interim), University of Cape Town.
2. Title: "Partnerships and Collaboration in scholarship: crossing and eliminating boundaries".
1. 2. Professor Emmanuel Ojo, Deputy Head: Wits School of Education, University of Witwatersrand.
2. Title: “Mapping the Academic Landscape: A Bibliometric Journey Through Higher Education in Africa”.
1. 3. Professor Wendy Thomson CBE, Vice Chancellor, University of London.
2. Title: "Transnational Education on Tides of Change"

12:00pm

First Parallel Sessions || 3^rd| side events.

1:30pm

Lunch.

2:30pm

Second Keynote Address
1. Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice Chancellor, University of Bristol.
2. Title: “The Africa Charter for Transformative Research Partnerships: A New Approach to Research Relationships”.

3:00pm

Second Plenary Session
Theme: Governance at the Universities of the Future.
(Chair: Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana).
1. 1. Professor Graham Carr, President and Vice Chancellor, Concorda University.
2. Title: “Concordia: a next-generation university”.
1. 2. Professor Lanre Fagbohun, Former Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University.
2. Title: “Mapping Governance Risks, the Future of Universities”.
1. 3. Professor Lis Lange, Former Deputy Vice Chancellor (T&L) University of Cape Town, Special Advisor: Deputy Vice-Chancellor Learning and Teaching, Stellenbosch University
2. Title: “Re-engaging Governance Praxis at African Universities: A reflection from the trenches”

4:30pm

Tea/Coffee Break.

5:00pm

Second Parallel Sessions || 3^rd| side events.

6:30pm

Light Refreshment / Cocktails
Presentation of “Statues and Storms: Leading a University through Change” by Dr Max Price(former Vice Chancellor, University of Cape Town)

9:00am

Third Keynote Address:
1. Professor Peter Maassen, Deputy Head/Research Coordinator, Department for Educational Research, Faculty of Education, University of Oslo
2. Title: “The Impact of Digital Technologies on the University’s Primary Processes - Possible Implications for African Universities”

9:30am

Third Plenary Session
Theme: Technology and Changing Higher Education Practice: How Should African Universities Respond?
(Chair: Professor Sizwe Mabizela, Vice Chancellor, Rhodes University)
1. 1. Professor John Effah, Director, Institutional Planning and Research, University of Ghana.
2. Title: “Digital innovation and transformation of HEIs in Africa: opportunities, challenges, and responses”.
1. 2. Professor Russ Ganim, Dean of International Programs, University of Iowa .
2. Title: “Tech and Teams: The Promise of Webinars and Global Classrooms”.
1. 3. Professor Adeniyi Isafiade, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cape Town.
2. Title: “African universities can enhance teaching and learning using technology by leveraging opportunities”.

11:00am

Tea/Coffee Break.

11:30am

Third Parallel Session || 3^rd |side events.

1:00pm

Lunch.

2:00pm

Fourth Keynote Address:
1. Professor Kwame Akyeampong, Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Development, Open University, U.K.
2. Title: “Preparing the future student for Africa’s development: how should African Universities respond through its research and pedagogy?”

2:30pm

Fourth Plenary Session:
Theme: Preparing African Students for the Future.
(Chair: Emeritus Professor Olufemi Bamiro, Former Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan).
1. 1. Mr. Jerome September, Dean of Students, University of the Witwatersrand
2. Title: “Breaking down the walls: Student Success as a common purpose for Academic and Student Affairs. A Wits University Perspective”
1. 2. Professor Gordon Awandare, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, University of Ghana.
2. Title: “Preparing Students for the World of Competitive Research”.
1. 3. Professor Roberta Comunian, Professor of Creative Economies, Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries, Kings College London.
2. Title: “It takes a village: Supporting creative graduates in and beyond the creative industries”.

4:00pm

Tea/Coffee Break.

4:30pm

Fourth Parallel Sessions || 3^rd|side events.

6:15pm

Buses Depart for Conference Dinner.

7:00pm

Conference Dinner
Dinner Speech by Professor ‘Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President (International Engagement and Service), King’s College London.

(Centre of Excellence Workshops for Early-Career Researchers)

9:00am

Final keynote Address:
1. Professor David Mills, Pedagogy and the Social Sciences, University of Oxford.
2. Title: “Refiguring Africa’s research and publishing infrastructures: From a citation economy to knowledge ecosystems”

10:00am

Tea/Coffee Break.

10:30am

Fifth Parallel CoE Sessions Workshops for Early-Career Researchers.

1:00pm

Lunch.

2:30pm

Sixth Parallel CoE Sessions for Early-Career Researchers.

5:30pm

Policy Roundtable and Wrap-Up: Global Challenges and the Implications for Research at African Universities.
(Chair: Professor Ernest Aryeetey, ARUA Secretary-General).
1. Professor Imraan Valodia, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand.
2. Professor Jan Palmowski, Secretary-General, The Guild of Research-Intensive Universities
3. Professor Robert Osei, Dean, School of Graduate Studies, University of Ghana.
4. Professor Margaret J. Hutchinson, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Enterprise), University of Nairobi.
5. Professor Bolanle Oboh, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics and Research), University of Lagos.

7:00pm

End of Conference and Workshop.
Light Refreshment.

SUMMARY

The higher education sectors in Africa have recently witnessed some changes, both in terms of structure and operation. This is in sharp contrast to what was previously known about them being fundamentally lagging in terms of the quality and productivity of their primary processes, the material conditions under which they operated, including the institutional capacity for enrolling students and conducting research, as well as their engagement with industry and more generally, their relevance to the continent. Higher education institutions (HEIs) in Africa are gradually being appropriately accredited and have witnessed significant increases in enrolment, research output, educational funding and rankings in global university systems. Regional bodies such as the African Union (AU) have recognized the need for investment in education, skills development and science (Agenda 2063) and this has been central to transforming higher education in Africa. The private sector is also contributing in diverse ways to enhance access to higher education. Despite these improvements, there is still the general impression that the quality of higher education institutions in Africa is generally not high enough to form a strong and formidable foundation for global competitiveness, address the continent’s complex challenges and facilitate the types of collaboration that can be found in other universities in advanced economies. It has been suggested that most African universities can, at best, be described as not being in a strong enough state to harness the gradually increasing availability of different sources of international funding for higher education.

Not much is seen in the various efforts to address the set of asymmetries that have for a very long time existed between African universities and those of the rest of the world. With the ever-growing need to address the continent’s complex challenges, the transition towards a knowledge-based economy and maximize the growing number of cooperation agreements between Africa and the world (e.g., the AU-EU innovation agenda which recognizes universities as the gateway between Africa and the EU, and the positioning of science at the heart of development), it is becoming crucial for the continent to reimagine the future of its higher education institutions and prepare them to become more relevant. The 2023 Biennial International Conference is hosted by the University of Lagos, Nigeria. This year’s conference will be hosted as a hybrid event with physical and online participation. The conference structure will include:

1. Five keynote addresses

2. Four plenary sessions

3. Four parallel sessions with 3rd party worshops/side Events

4. A policy round table discussion

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) invites you to join the converstion by registering for the conference.