By Mariama Bundu
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Timothy Musa Kabba, has delivered the Presidential address at the 11th Annual Conference of the Association of West African Universities (AWAU) in Freetown.
The Minister represented President Julius Maada Bio at the high-level gathering.
The conference was hosted at the Foreign Service Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and brought together vice-chancellors, academics, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders from universities across West Africa.
The Association of West African Universities was established in 2011 at the University of Ilorin in Nigeria.
The body works to strengthen collaboration among higher education institutions in the sub-region, promote quality assurance and innovation, and support research, infrastructure development and manpower training.
It also aligns its objectives with the Association of African Universities to advance regional integration through education.
In his address, Timothy Kabba conveyed the Government of Sierra Leoneβs commitment to improving tertiary education as a key driver of national and regional development.
He mentioned the importance of cross-border academic partnerships, the use of technology to expand access to learning, and the need to build resilient universities capable of producing graduates who can contribute to sustainable socio-economic growth.
The conference provided an opportunity for member institutions to share experiences, discuss challenges facing higher education and explore areas for collaboration.
The event also underscored Sierra Leoneβs role in promoting regional unity and educational advancement.
