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MINEDAF
Resources
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UNESCO Follow up to MINEDAF VII
Programme of Work, 1998-99
Identifying programmes and centres of excellence
At the Durban conference, Ministers gave prominence to African programmes and
centres of excellence as some of the modalities and mechanisms they would use
in promoting regional collaboration (Durban
Statement, para.13). However, the conference, and the Durban Statement
itself, did not provide an operational definition of what may be considered
"African programmes or centres of excellence".
Moreover, in discourses among African policymakers, the notion of programmes
or centres of excellence is often used interchangeably with that of "centres
of specialization" (cf., for example, in SADC and in ECOWAS
groups of countries). Nevertheless, both the Intergovernmental
Committee and the Caucus of Ministers of
Education instructed the Secretariat to
identify such programmes and centres and to suggest possible mechanisms of how
African countries could better tap on this important mutual human development
resource. Standards and criteria therefore need to be formulated to identify
such programmes and centres.
The Secretariat has distributed a brief Survey Questionnaire to all Ministers
of Education of the African Member States soliciting preliminary information
on what they consider to be their Programmes and Centres of Excellence. The
purpose of this initial effort is not only to help clarify what institutions
in the African countries are considered programmes or centres of excellence,
but also to understand better the criteria (formal and informal), and the
standards, that are applied in conferring this distinction.
The information so obtained will be utilized in designing a more rigorous
survey, which will also take into consideration factors used in other regions
of the world in defining programmes and centres of excellence. The Secretariat
will enlist the co-operation of a number of important African organizations
and institutions, including the Association of
African Universities (AAU), and other competent bodies, to assist in this
significant regional endeavour.
The expected outcomes of these efforts will be the formulation of rigorous
criteria and standards which could be considered by African Ministers of
Education in designating programmes and centres of excellence in the African
countries.
To know more, see the survey document
Preliminary efforts to identify
African programmes and centres of excellence
See also Programme of Work, 2000-2001
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