The Association of African Universities (AAU), has been asked to initiate pragmatic measures to tackle its challenges to enable it to function effectively.
Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Vice Chancellor, University of Cape Coast (UCC), who made the call, urged the Association to consider
complaints that programmes of African universities were not responsive to the needs of the labour market.
She was speaking at the opening of a three-day 68th meeting of the Governing Board of the AAU, on Wednesday in Cape Coast.
It was being attended by 14 vice chancellors and Presidents of Universities from 11 African countries including Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire,
Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Mozambique, Ghana and Swaziland.
The Board was expected to approve the admission of universities that have applied for membership into AAU, deliberate on its programmes,
activities, membership and budget and accounts.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang expressed concern about the dwindling number of students offering Mathematics and the Sciences in schools and asked the Association to investigate the cause and find solutions to the problem.
She advised the AUU to continue to promote cooperation among its members to help address developmental issues on the African continent.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said that there was the need to solve the problem of inadequate equipment and facilities, large classes as well as the mode of delivery of lectures at the Universities.
She said that universities in Ghana were receiving financial support from government through the Ghana Education Fund (GETfund) and asked other African countries to emulate Ghana.
The President of AAU, Prof Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, said that AAU was set up in Morocco in 1967 to provide platform for members to interact and "speak with one voice".
He said that even though the number of universities in Africa had increased to about a 1,000, only 225 were currently paid up members of the Association and asked all universities to be committed members.
Prof. Oloyede observed that even though African universities were performing well, the parameters used in assessing and classifying
universities the world over were not to their advantage.
He said that African universities "continue to struggle on the so called world ranking table, but despite that setback, we are all making
progress".
Prof. Oloyede appealed to African universities to emulate UCC, which had formed linkages with other universities to foster stronger cooperation and support.
The Acting Secretary General of AAU, Prof. John Ssebuwufu, said higher education was relevant to Africa's development and called for more funding for the universities to enable them to effectively contribute to national development.
Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, Oguaamanhen, who presided, called on Africans to protect their values to avoid its extinction.