The Association of International Educators has called on African Higher Educational Institutions to take important strides to enhance educational exchange.
This call comes following the rise in the number of African students travelling overseas to study.
In his welcome address at a lecture held by the Office of International Relations, Professor Moses Joojo Eghan, Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, UCC highlighted the significance of the relationship between African Higher Educational Institutions and the Association of International Educators (NAFSA).
He emphasized that the partnership between Africa Higher Education Institutions and NAFSA is particularly significant as it seeks to leverage the strengths and expertise of both parties to promote mutual benefit and collaboration.
“This partnership has the potential to enhance the quality of education, promote faculty and student and student mobility, and foster research collaborations between African institutions and their international counterparts,” he added.
Prof. Eghan also underscored the importance of reciprocity, mutual respect, equitability in partnerships indicating it is an opportunity to deepen the partnership between the University and NAFSA and for participants to learn, collaborate, discover solutions to enhance internationalization in the University.”
President of NAFSA, Dr. Fanta Aw, called on African tertiary institutions to draw innovative plans to accelerate bilateral exchange and leverage funding and scholarship opportunities for the mobility of students.
Speaking on the topic “Advancing International Education Exchange – Partnership between African Higher Educational Institutions and NAFSA: Association of International Educators,” Dr. Fanta Aw, President of NAFSA, called on African tertiary institutions to draw innovative plans to accelerate bilateral exchange.
“We also know that the majority of students will live in one country and will not have the opportunity to necessarily engage in exchange. So, what we have to do as institutions is internationalize at home.”
Dr. Aw appealed for strengthened capacity-building in African universities in order to reap the benefits of international educational exchange.
“We need to build capacity in tertiary education in Sub-Saharan Africa. And because we know that between year 2000 and just in 2018, there’s been already a doubling of students who need tertiary education in all of Africa. We know that governments have significantly increased the number of doctoral programmes, strengthened faculty quality. So, our ability to think about curriculum, our ability to think about leveraging what is our strength is quite important.”
The lecture formed part of Dr. Aw’s visit to Ghana to further strengthen NAFSA’s partnerships with African Higher Educational Institutions.
The lecture was well-attended by top University officials, faculty and students.
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Source: Afote Asomdwoe Laryea/ATLFMNEWS
