Pan-African University (PAU) Fund-Raising Luncheon
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, January 25, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA
When: Tuesday, 31st January 2012
Where: New African Union Headquarters Conference Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Who: Organized by the Commission of Human Resources, Science and Technology (HRST) of the African Union Commission (AUC).
Why: The fund-raising is expected to generate awareness of the newly launched Pan African University (PAU).
Participants: Representatives of African Union Member States, International organizations, partners, private sectors as well as eminent African philanthropists.
Background: Education is the most important tool for equipping African peoples with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to be able to drive this vision. Quality Higher education in particular is imperative if Africa has to attain this vision, generate home-grown solutions to African challenges according to the NEPAD philosophy; and participate fully in the global knowledge economy.
This is the reason why the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union launched the Second Decade of Education for Africa which identifies tertiary level education as one of the seven priorities to be focused on for the time period 2006-2015. Meanwhile, worldwide programmes and projects such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA) only emphasized on basic education, on Universal primary education.
The African Union Commission proposed in 2008 the creation of the Pan African University (PAU). The PAU involves the promotion, networking and development of programs and research centers within selected existing high quality universities in the five geographic sub-regions, namely: Northern, Western, Eastern, Central Northern and Southern Africa.
Each sub-region will host a thematic component of the PAU which will be committed to select and to network high quality centers developing similar programs and to serve as a coordinating hub for those institutions.
The fund raising luncheon is intended to further spread awareness on the role of the Pan-African University in the development of the educational sector in the Africa.
Journalists are invited to cover the fund-raising luncheon for the Pan-African University on January 31st 2012 in the New African Union Conference Complex
More information about the agenda and program of the event will be provided subsequently.
For Further Information consult the AU website: www.au.int