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The Association of Commonwealth Universities | ACU
The ACU advocates for higher education as a key player in sustainable development at CHOGM 2022

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) took place in Kigali, Rwanda last week, with representatives of all 54 member countries attending the seven-day summit to address the shared global challenges we face.

Delegates embraced unity and collaboration to tackle issues that are at the heart of the Commonwealth’s values, such as gender equality, youth empowerment, sustainable economic development and climate action.

As an accredited Commonwealth organisation, we championed the role of higher education in sustainable development, outlined policy priorities for higher education and shaped the agenda on behalf of our members across the Commonwealth.

Throughout the week members of the ACU delegation participated in and chaired sessions across the forums and official meetings, providing an official voice for higher education, advocating for higher education’s vital role in delivering progress across all 17 UN SDGs and for the importance of investing in higher education to further strengthen this contribution.

Over the week at CHOGM we spoke with numerous government leaders about how the ACU’s global network brings together 500+ universities to tackle global challenges and drive development and prosperity in the Commonwealth.

Blended Learning and PEBL West Africa launch

The ACU and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade were delighted to officially launch our Partnership for Enhanced and Blended Learning (PEBL) West Africa project at CHOGM. We welcomed guests, partners and members to an evening reception and launch event.

Following the successful pilot programme in East Africa, the new Partnership for Enhanced and Blended Learning (PEBL) in West Africa will further increase access to higher education in countries where demand outstrips supply.

By supporting academics and students across 12 universities in Ghana and Nigeria, PEBL West Africa will build sustainable capacity for blended learning through expert-led training, collaboration, and the development of quality assured, credit-bearing blended courses.

Throughout the Business Forum, we advocated for the role of higher education in addressing challenges and opportunities for the future world of work. ACU ambassador Professor Ian Rowlands, University of Waterloo, moderated a panel discussion on future skills and employability with the Mastercard foundation, Princes’ Trust and others. Whilst ACU Council member Professor Francis Aduol of Technical University of Kenya represented the ACU on a panel to mark the launch of ACU member Coventry University’s Africa hub, discussing the role of education in the African Labour Market.

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Published date: 01/07/2022

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