Regional African Universities to Begin Charging Tuition The Association of African Universities met in February in Nairobi, Kenya, and voted to support a resolution that would introduce tuition in countries where higher education has traditionally been free. Included in the resolution’s proposed strategies is the…
Côte d’Ivoire Authorities recently shut down universities throughout the country following violent skirmishes between students representing rival political parties. The clashes occurred between supporters of the ruling FPI (Front Populaire Ivoirien and the leading opposition party. Opposition supporters backed Allasane Ouattara’s candidacy in recent parliamentary…
Botswana The government’s decision to discontinue nonmilitary national service in April has resulted in a shortage of university places. Nearly 20,000 students, including those studying abroad, applied to institutions of education in Botswana this year, overwhelming university admissions. The University of Botswana was able to…
Regional The African Virtual University (AVU), a World Bank-funded project, was successfully piloted between July 1997 and December 1999. During that time, AVU accomplished the following: Established 25 learning centers in 15 sub-Saharan African countries. Provided a total of 2,500 hours of instructional programs in…
Regional In 1969, it was estimated that four out of five women in Africa were illiterate. More than 30 years later, half of all African women still cannot read or write. Based on the latest projections for the period from 1990 to 2005, the greatest…