Africa University’s Vice Chancellor launches 2023/27 strategic plan

Key points:

• VISION- The Vice Chancellor’s vision is to position Africa University as a Student-centered University for leadership transformation in Africa.
• HIGH IMPACT-The central aim of the Strategic Plan  is to refocus Africa University’s efforts and ambitions in the delivery of high-impact pan- African education, grounded in Christian values and remaining relevant in the ever-changing context of the African continent and the world.
• STUDENT- CENTERED –A student- centered  approach, stewardship, investment in and upskilling of staff to implement the strategic plan, continental and global competitiveness, and internationalization, form its foundation.
• RELEVANCE-Over the course of the next five years, AU aims to remain relevant, impactful and on the cutting edge of higher education provision in Africa.

—————————————————————————————

“We are Team AU! This strategic plan has been developed among us, for us, and shall be driven by us.” Vice Chancellor Reverend Professor Peter Mageto said at the launch of the Africa University 2023/27 Strategic plan on  Friday the 17th of November 2023 . The strategic plan document , shared with the university Board of Directors at the October 2023 session, was received with much appreciation and applause for being concise, measurable and clear for implementation in all units of the university.

Following a rigorous grassroots development process, the strategic plan is  is guided by 5 overarching goals:

I. Enhance Student Access and Success
II. Invest and Empower
III. Increase Financial Stewardship and
Institutional Sustainability
IV. Cultivate Strategic Partnerships and
Economic Competitiveness
V. Internationalize Research, Teaching and
Learning

The 5 goals touch on critical aspects of the university’s  development trajectory that includes student well being and progression, financial management, institutional relevance and internationalization.

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch, Strategic Plan Committee Chairperson Professor Stanley Murairwa who is also the Dean of the College of Business, Peace, Leadership and Governance said that beginning from the grassroots was intentional at it is the people who drive a strategic plan and it was of paramount importance that their views, their opinions and their recommendations on how to advance the institution be considered.

Reverend Professor Mageto has long advocated for collective accountability and responsibility across the institution  ensuring that among those who serve , stewardship of resources and financial  grounding guides activities and processes.

Goal 1 is all about the students, their success and giving them room to thrive on a diverse campus that builds on the unique experiences they bring and amplifies this to make for an environment rich in ideas and culture. Africa University’s charter imbues diversity with an allowance for  a  60:40 student ratio with  international students in the former to maintain and project the pan- African identity.

Goal 2 magnifies the principle of Our people, our values, with an aim to upskill and train staff to deliver on the expectations of the Strategic Plan document .

The university is also increasing program offerings in STEM subjects with the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences launched earlier in 2023 and the addition of the new undergraduate degree in Artificial Intelligence. All students  also undergo training in courses related to AI and Intellectual Property . With education 5.0 calling for the need to innovate, industrialize and add value to outputs in higher education, the Strategic Plan has laid an effective framework to complement efforts to drive this pertinent agenda.

Also underlying this goal is an intentional investment in educational technologies that will give students a leading edge in their research and learning. Such investments have already been implemented with the campus wide facelift of all classrooms into smart classrooms fully equipped with technology that facilitates ideation, enhances interactions between faculty and students as well as among students themselves, with plans to include assistive learning technologies. These would serve AU’s growing number of students with disabilities that is a direct result of the institutions’ intentional recruiting and supporting of learners from this important demographic.

Goal 3 acknowledges the VUCA environment (Volatile , Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous), and does not shy away from it, rather encouraging new thinking and the exploration of opportunities that undeniably exist within such environs. The university has managed to successfully navigate local, regional and global shocks in no small part due to its visionary leadership that constantly has a finger on the pulse of socio-economic events to guarantee competitiveness, sustainability and advancement.

Goal 4 speaks directly to goal three in bolstering strategic partnerships that drive the Strategic Plan and ultimately the vision of the university. AU is proud to have secured powerful affiliations with regional, continental and global partners in critical needs areas such as peace and justice, intellectual property, child and human rights, business and entrepreneurship. Many have led to the establishment of scholarship facilities that increase access to education for more people from Africa with a view to increasing capacity, skills and contributing to the African and global knowledge economy through the over 11 000 alumni living, working and serving on the continent and worldwide.

Goal 5 buttresses the four goals that precede it with the need to internationalize becoming increasingly important in the higher education sector. Internationalization of research and learning lends itself to strengthening capacity, networks, connections and interactions with the global environment. Global competencies in graduates along with a better understanding of the interconnectedness of nations in the health, finance, food and production economies allows for the implementation of high impact researches , continuous improvement and diversified revenue generation as well as benchmarking to safeguard the integrity and quality of programs , facilities and service delivery.

 

Overall the 2023/27 Strategic Plan feeds into the continental development framework Agenda 2065, and the global Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that the relevance, impact and contributions of AU to the development agenda are tangible and aligned to desired progression outcomes for Africa and her people  . The Plan is poised to take the institution , its staff and students to another level of excellence.