The University Network

Addis Ababa University (AAU), which was established in 1950 as the University College of Addis Ababa (UCAA), is the oldest and the largest higher learning and research institution in Ethiopia. Since its inception, the University has been the leading centre in teaching-learning, research and community services.

Beginning with enrolment capacity of 33 students in 1950, AAU now has 48,673 students (33,940 undergraduate, 13,000 Master’s and 1733 PhD students) and 6043 staff (2,408 academics and 3,635 support staff). In its 14 campuses, the University runs 70 undergraduate and 293 graduate programs (72 PhD and 221 Masters), and various specialisations in Health Sciences.

Over 222,000 students have graduated from AAU since its establishment.

The University is led by a President who is assisted by four Vice Presidents and one Executive Director: Academic Vice President, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer, Vice President for Administration and Student Services, Vice President for Institutional Development and the Executive Director of the College of Health Sciences (with the rank of Vice President).

In recent years, the University has been undertaking various reform schemes in order to cope with and respond to the fast-changing national and international educational dynamics. At present the University has 10 colleges, 4 institutes that run both teaching and research, and 6 research institutes that predominantly conduct research. Within these academic units, there are 55 departments, 12 centres, 12 schools, and 2 teaching hospitals.

Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) established in 1993 is a leading private university in Bangladesh with an explicit focus on Research and Global partnerships. IUB is a full service, meritocratically elite university with a current enrolment of 8,423 students, 13,745 alumni and 401 faculty members. IUB has dormitory facilities for female students from outside Dhaka and foreign students and a guesthouse for visiting scholars.

IUB’s academic curriculum is based on a North American liberal arts model and the medium of instruction is English. We currently have six academic schools: School of Business, School of Engineering and Computer Science, School of Environmental Sciences and Management, School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Public Health. IUB is rapidly expanding its portfolio and is in the process of introducing Architecture and Biotechnology.

IUB's pioneering Program, Live-in-Field Experience, a 3-credit Program mandatory for all undergraduate students, gives a distinctive opportunity to learn about rural life, complement the unique course, National Culture and Heritage, a comprehensive study of the history, society and culture of Bangladesh. The LFE Program received acclamation from home and abroad. Apart from academics, IUB puts a strong emphasis on co-curricular activities and provides opportunities to enhance their aesthetics talent and skills. IUB has 17 student clubs: Art Club, Bangla Club, Book Club, Debating Club, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Film Club, International Affairs Club, Music Club, Photography Club, Theatre Club, BSS Club, CECS Club, ENV Club, Jukti Club, Economics Club, Monte Carlo Information Club, IEEE IUB Student Branch. Students are also encouraged throughout their stay at IUB to participate in community services Programs like blood donation, distribution of warm clothes in winter, fund raising for flood victims and victims of natural disasters etc. to promote leadership and personal growth.

Makerere University is a renowned knowledge, research and innovations hub in Africa. The University has been at the centre of producing human capital for the world. Makerere University boasts of over 300,000 alumni spread all over the globe serving humanity.

Established in 1922 with only 14 day students, Makerere University has grown over the years to become a research led institution with a niche of attracting and implementing partnerships at the national, regional and continental levels. The University has a rich history spanning a century (1922-2022) and as it embraces the next century, the University reiterates its commitment to stakeholder engagements and strategic partnerships with universities, research bodies/institutes, governments, private sector and the business community.

Through its vision, Makerere University aspires to be a thought leader of knowledge generation for societal transformation and development. The University has over 30,000 students pursuing different academic programmes/disciplines at undergraduate and graduate levels. Our students have access to qualified and dedicated staff blended with a compulsory internship and field attachment programme. The University avails entrepreneurship engagements, counselling and guidance services, sports and recreation opportunities. Through the incubation and innovations centre, students work with professors and researchers to provide solutions responsive to national and global needs.

In Uganda, Makerere University is the oldest and premier University. The University has ten constituent colleges namely: Health Sciences; Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Business and Management Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences; Computing and Information Sciences; Education and External Studies; Engineering, Design, Art and Technology; Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security; Natural Sciences and the School of Law.

Located on Makerere Hill, the university’s Main Campus spans 300 acres and is approximately five kilometers from the Kampala, the Capital City of Uganda. Comprising a total of three campuses, the university’s estate also includes an Agricultural Research Institute in Kabanyolo, a 350-acre farm under the College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources – and a conservation field station situated on the edge of the Budongo rainforest, used by students of forestry and conservation.

The P3S Academy (P3SA) at the University of Oxford is a global centre of learning and capacity building focused on how the public and third sectors, whether central or local government, regulators, supervisory authorities, multilateral institutions, campaigning NGOs, charities, and philanthropy, can grasp the opportunities associated with sustainable finance.

It seeks to arm these groups with the knowledge, networks, and skills required to shift the direction of tens of trillions of dollars of capital away from unsustainable activities to those aligned with the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Academy targets, among others, civil servants, regulators, and central bankers working to develop policies that can foster the development of sustainable finance; staff at NGOs who would like to help the global financial system create better sustainability outcomes; and philanthropic funders looking to navigate sustainable finance topics so as to support the most impactful activities.

The Academy works internationally, with a particular focus on supporting public and third sector organisations in developing and emerging economies.

University of Cape Town (UCT) is South Africa's oldest university. It was founded in 1829 as the South African College. The College developed into a fully fledged university during the period 1880 to 1900.

Today, UCT has 6 faculties - Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Law, Health Sciences, Humanities and Science – which are all supported by the Centre for Higher Education Development.

The university's vision is to be an inclusive, research-intensive African university that addresses contemporary challenges with cutting-edge teaching, research and facilities. The university is committed to promoting transformation, to working tirelessly to guarantee the sustainability of the institution, and to ensuring excellence in all it does.

UCT is a community of exceptionally talented students, teachers and researchers – and a wide range of professional, administrative support and service staff – all of whom are committed to help change this world for the better. UCT is home to approximately 30,000 students  and 5,000 staff from many different communities in South Africa, as well as more than 100 countries across Africa and the rest of the world.

UCT has a proud tradition of academic excellence and is currently the top-rated university in Africa and one of the top-rated universities in the world. Its researchers continue to help with the creation of African-based solutions to global problems, including issues relating to economics, finance, climate change, urbanization, safety and security, education and health, to name just a few. UCT also has more than 80 specialist research units that provide supervision for postgraduate work and are home to more than a third of South Africa's A-rated researchers – academics who are considered world leaders in their fields.

UCT produces graduates whose qualifications are internationally recognised and locally applicable. In addition to providing excellent teaching, UCT encourages students to build their leadership and service skills.

The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) is the oldest and premier public university in Tanzania. It is situated 13 kilometers on the western side of the city of Dar es Salaam, occupying 1,625 acres on the observation hill, famously known as Mlimani in Kiswahili. It was established on 25 October 1961 as the University College Dar es Salaam (UCD), an affiliate college of the University of London. In 1963, it became a constituent college of the University of East Africa together with Makerere University College in Uganda and Nairobi University College in Kenya. UDSM became a full-fledged university on 1st July 1970 through Act No. 12 of 1970.

Ever since UDSM has grown in terms of student intake, academic units, research capability and academic programmes. It has two constituent colleges: the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) located in Dar es Salaam and the Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE), located in Iringa. There are also seven campus colleges, seven schools and five institutes hosting numerous academic departments covering a wide range of programmes, making it a comprehensive university.

The academic programmes offered lead to the award of certificates, diplomas, and undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. A total of 370 programmes including 17 taught PhD; 99 PhD by thesis; 142 Masters; 10 Postgraduate; 92 undergraduate; 5 certificate, and 6 diploma are offered in various academic units. They include evening study programmes designed to offer opportunities mainly to employed people, although any other interested person with requisite entry qualifications can apply. The number of students admitted has been reaching 39,958 in 2020/2021 academic year. Female students constitute 46 percent of all students and more efforts have been underway to increase this ratio.

UEH University, formally known as the University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City, was created in 1976 as a uni-disciplinary higher education institution focusing on economics. As the institution evolves, it has become multi-disciplinary, with degree programmes in other disciplines such as business administration and finance.

In its recent transformation, the institution has started to offer inter-disciplinary programmes such as urban planning and real estate (2021), as the rising demand in the labour market necessitates the convergence of disciplines. The university has over 38,000 students of different levels and education formats (regular and continuing education).

The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City was formed under the administration of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Vocational Education – the former name of the present Ministry of Education and Training. In 1996, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, the University of Finance - Accounting and the General University’s Faculty of Economics merged into the University of Economics as a member of Vietnam National – Ho Chi Minh University (VNU-HCM).

In 2000, the Prime Minister signed the decision to relocate the University of Economics from VNU-HCM into the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) under the administration of the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET). On December 4th, 2019, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City - Vinh Long Branch was formed following the merger of Vinh Long College of Economics and Finance, making it a pioneer centre for academic training, research and consultation for UEH in the Mekong Delta.

As the premier university in Ghana, the University aims to produce the next generation of thought leaders to drive national development. Through its research institutes and other centres of learning and research, faculty members are involved in studies that support policy making for national development, often in collaboration with other international institutions.

There are currently a number of Ghanaian and international institutions that hold affiliation with the University of Ghana. As a leader in tertiary education, the University has established several link agreements with universities in Africa, Europe and North America for student, faculty and staff exchange as well as collaborative research.

The student population is approximately 61,000 made up of students enrolled on regular, sandwich and weekend programmes as well as distance education as well as students from affiliate institutions. The University has experienced a steady growth in the number of international students who come from over 70 countries to join either the regular undergraduate and graduate programmes or enrol on the study abroad and other special programmes designed for international students.

The University of Ghana, has over the years built an image as one of the continent’s reputable universities, making it the first choice for academics, researchers and students.

The history of the University of Nairobi as an educational institution dates back to 1956 but in 1970 it became an independent university when the University of East Africa was split into three separate universities: University of Nairobi in Kenya, Makerere University in Uganda, and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

In 1983, the university underwent a major restructuring which involved decentralisation of the administration, by creating six colleges headed by principals. In June 2021, the university was further restructured to faculties headed by Deans and Associate Deans which phased out the colleges era. The university currently has ten faculties and 63 departments. The university also has 11 institutes such as the Wangari Mathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies and the Institute for Climate Change and Adaptation, among others, and 5 research centers.

In order to cater for increasing demand for higher education, the University introduced a programme that allowed self-sponsored students to acquire education at the university, and in 2015 it launched its Open and Distance eLearning [ODEL] system.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the university quickly mainstreamed efficient and effective online learning systems which allowed it to continue to operate smoothly under the difficult circumstances. These milestones have cumulatively led to a great increase in the number of students getting the university education. The number of undergraduate students now stands at about 42,000, masters students are slightly over 9,000 and there are over 1000 doctorate students.

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) is the first independent university established in Nigeria. It was founded in 1955 and formally opened on 7th October 1960. The UNN operates on three campuses: Nsukka, Enugu and Ituku Ozalla. The University prides itself as the first land-grant university in Nigeria and the entire African continent.

UNN has been at the forefront of Nigeria's research and development, innovation, knowledge transfer and human resources development. The institution is reputed for introducing some disruptive programmes in the Nigerian educational system to aid the production of well-rounded graduates suitable for the global market and responsive to Nigeria's peculiar manpower needs.

With the motto, To Restore the Dignity of Man, the University of Nigeria has grown from an enrolment of 220 students in 1960 to its current student population of over 55,000. It has about 109 departments grouped under 17 faculties. While responding to the current needs of Nigerian society, the University of Nigeria is driving innovations through impact-based research and innovative technologies.

UNN hosts many centres of excellence, including the UNESCO Biotechnology Centre, the Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre, Environment for Development (REPRC-EfD) Nigeria, and the African Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development (ACE-SPED). The University of Nigeria is committed to providing evidence-based advice to policymakers to help solve the myriads of problems confronting Nigeria and the entire African continent.

The University of Rwanda (UR) is a public Higher Learning Institution established by the law n° 71/2013 of 10/09/2013. It resulted from the merger of the former seven public Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) into single public University with six Colleges and nine campuses distributed across the country. The UR is a singular, multi-campus institution offering a wide range of academic studies. As such, it provides opportunities for students to pursue a variety of programs - some that are quite specialised in nature, others that are multi-disciplinary and problem-based in focus - and to undertake their studies at different locations across the country, both through classes at designated campuses and through access to distance learning.

UR is the only higher education institution interfacing with urban and rural communities in Rwanda through our six colleges: College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM), College of Business and Economics (CBE), College of Education (CE), College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS), College of Science and Technology (CST).

Currently, UR has a student population of around 31,000 (2023) with just over 20,000 pursuing STEM courses. Since 2013, UR has graduated around 73,000 young people. UR runs 117 undergraduate programmes and 147 postgraduate programmes and employs 1,357 academic staff and 653 support staff. UR is the predominant source of skills for the nation.

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region.

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%.

The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 20 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old). The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

The University of Zambia was established in 1965 and is the oldest university in the country. The University has grown from three schools with a student population of around 300 in 1966 into a leading University with thirteen schools and over 20,000 students.

The initial schools were Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. With the passage of time, new school infrastructure and facilities were introduced. These were Law (1967), Engineering (1969), Medicine (1970), Agricultural Sciences (1971), Mines (1973), Business and Industrial Studies (and Environmental Studies at Ndola Campus in 1978 and 1981 respectively), and Veterinary Medicine (1983). The increase in infrastructure and expansion of academic programmes led to a rise in the student population. In addition, the expansion programme necessitated other off campus developments and based on this the strategy was initiated to have a federal structure to oversee expansion of a university campus in the the Northern region. The Northern region campus was later made an autonomous university specialising in business related studies, technical and environment and related science disciplines.