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Rabat – The 16th Quadrennial General Conference of the Association of African Universities (AAU) opened today, July 21, 2025, at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Rabat.
Held every four years, this flagship event serves as the AAU’s highest decision-making forum, bringing together key stakeholders in African higher education to confront critical challenges and shape collaborative strategies towards the continent’s future development and education.
Under the theme “Shaping the Future of Higher Education for Innovation and Sustainable Development in Africa,” the conference convenes university leaders, researchers, policymakers, students, and industry partners for plenary sessions, thematic panels, strategic workshops, and exhibitions. Discussions focus on pressing issues such as water scarcity, renewable energy, digitalization, cybersecurity, and the humanities.
The official opening ceremony featured a speech by Azzedine El Midaoui, Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, who expressed pride in opening the conference.
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), El Midaoui said the conference reflects King Mohammed VI’s vision to bolster Morocco’s leadership and foster closer collaboration with African countries in higher education.
“This conference will address and discuss a range of themes and topics across education, research, and innovation. The main subjects include water scarcity, fertilizers, renewable energy, digitalization, cybersecurity, the humanities, and many others. I believe it is a great opportunity to strengthen these areas further,” he stated to MWN.
Rachid Serraj, Director of the Africa Initiative at UM6P, highlighted the university’s steadfast commitment to Africa, guided by the vision of King Mohammed VI, which calls for advancing development in both Morocco and the wider continent.
“Africa today is facing many challenges, including demographic growth, climate change, poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. If we look at the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, Africa still lags behind in achieving them. Our work focuses on finding solutions to address these challenges, and this conference includes discussions on all these themes,” Serraj told MWN.
He also touched upon the historic significance of the AAU, noting that it was founded in Rabat in 1967 with just 34 member universities. Today, the association has grown to encompass over 450 universities across the continent.
Olusola Bandele Oyewole, Secretary General of the AAU, praised Morocco’s historic role as the birthplace of the association and expressed deep appreciation for King Mohammed VI’s unwavering support of higher education and innovation in Africa.
“We are very grateful to the King of Morocco for his great support and motivation for higher education and innovation in Africa,” he said, emphasizing the crucial role of universities in empowering Africa’s growing youth population to contribute to the continent’s development.
The conference brings together a diverse group of participants — including university leaders, researchers, youth organizations, development partners, and private-sector actors — for a rich program of discussions aimed at advancing innovation and sustainable development through higher education across Africa.
