Reconnecting African universities with the global sustainability agenda, Prof. Bakri Saeed

Prof. Bakri Saeed
President
Association of African Universities, Accra
Ghana

Abstract
Halfway towards 2030, most African countries are struggling to meet most SDG targets.  Africa’s progress towards achieving the SDGs and Agenda 2063 targets needs strategic acceleration.  Universities are expected to play a central role in relation to achieving the SDGs. The African Union commission developed the Continental education strategy for Africa (CESA 2015 – 2025) as a guide for Education for Sustainable development in the African context. However, the universities cannot do that alone and they do not work in a vacuum. Also, universities need to transform their teaching, research and all activities to become true enablers of change.  The transformation of universities from the “post-colonial model” to the “developmental model” faces several barriers. The developmental role of universities is complex and extremely demanding in the African context. However, there are success stories which worth studying by other universities in Africa.