During the last few weeks the second module of the Institutional Development and University Management Training Programme (DIGU) was held at the universities at Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Dakar (Senegal) and Yaounde (Cameroon). The aim of this second module was to offer more thorough training following on from that which was started in June in Barcelona, taking into account the specific requirements of each of the African universities. Each of the African universities proposed an area of university management and organised a seminar of between one and two days duration in which, apart from the two Catalan experts, a large number of experts from each of the African universities took part as well as high level managers from other universities and institutions.
The Universidad Nacional de Guinea Equatorial (UNGE) in Malabo organised a seminar on the setting up of a Licence-Master’s-Doctorate (LMD) system. Mercè Gisbert, Vice-Rector of Teaching Policy and Convergence with the European Higher Education Area of the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) and Josep Juando, the Rector’s delegate for Teaching Support at the University of Girona (UdG) shared the experiences of their universities in adapting the to the LMD system and teaching planning and quality assurance. There were more than 30 representatives of the UNGE who asked a lot of questions about the processes being followed for adaptation tot he new system of studies and the implications of the new system for academic institutions, lecturers and students.
More information about the second module at the UNGE
The Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) in Dakar decided to focus the second module of the DIGU Programme on research management and more specifically the management of research information. As part of the visit, the Catalan delegation organised a one-day seminar entitled “The University faces the future: the challenge of administrative and research management” as well as a series of meetings with the UCAD management team to consider the information management project in more depth and define projects for future collaboration. The Catalan delegation was composed of Josep Samitier, ex-Rector of the University of Barcelona (UB) and Joan Gomez, Vice-Rector for Research of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) who travelled accompanied by two experts in information and research management.
More information about the second module at the UCAD
Finally, the Université de Yaounde I (UYI) took advantage of the second module of the DIGU Programme to organise a two-day seminar to which representatives of all the universities in Cameroon were invited, along with other institutions involved, such as the Chamber of Commerce, to consider the role of the university in development through research. On behalf of the Catalan universities, Jordi Marquet, Vice-Rector of Strategic Projects and the Science Park of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and Francisco Solé Parrellada, Director of the Science and Technology Park of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) presented the Catalan experience in knowledge transfer and the creation of the Science and Technology Parks as the final objective in a path towards improving relations between universities and the business sector. The seminar was the first meeting of all the Cameroon universities on this question. The working groups for research management, specifically data management, and for cooperation and development, specifically how to move towards a Science and Technology Park, were useful as a starting point to continue working in that direction. Some specific recommendations were even produced in the different working groups, and these will soon be presented to the Conference of Rectors of the Cameroon Universities and the Ministry for Higher Education and the Chamber of Commerce.
More information about the second module at UYI
At the end of November the second modules was offered in Maputo, Mozambique, and organised jointly between the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (Mozambique, UEM) and the Université d’Antananarivo (Madagascar, UA) in Maputo. This module centred on processes for training quality assurance.
More information about the second module at UEM
The organisation of the second module of the DIGU Programme in the different African universities has enabled the involvement of a large number of representatives from those universities, as well as universities and other institutions that until now were not involved in the Programme. The exchange of experiences that began in Barcelona last June and the mutual knowledge of the Catalan and African universities has enabled consolidation and the definition and planning of future collaboration projects in the area of university management is already underway, to guarantee the sustainability of the project. Finally, next January the closing event of the Programme wil be held in Dakar.
