Since the accession of African countries to independence, regional South-South co-operation has been considered a major development strategy for higher education in Africa.
Indeed, suffice it to say that each of the seven Conferences of Education and Planning Ministers referred to as MINEDAF, the first one of which took place in 1961, recommended that the utmost priority be given to the reinforcement of regional co-operation, especially in the following areas:
Today the promotion of regional co-operation is made easier by the various processes of political and economic integration being undertaken across Africa and by the rapid evolution of knowledge and the technologies of information and communication.
It is generally acknowledged that the reinforcement of regional co-operation will not only make it possible to respond more efficiently to the current and future needs of a rapidly-changing African society, but also to curb the brain drain phenomenon.
In order to lessen the adverse effects of the brain drain phenomenon, to further and to share knowledge, the World Conference on Higher Education held in October 1998 in Paris stated that as of now co-operation should be conceived as being an integral part of the institutional missions and of the systems of higher education.
The BREDA co-operation programmes are conceived and developed mainly on the basis of the following strategies:
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The publication of a book on South-South regional co-operation in higher education across Sub-Saharan Africa.
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The reinforcement of co-operation with the Santander Group.
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The reinforcement of the network of UNESCO professorships on the techniques of education and distance-learning.
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The reinforcement of research and post-graduate education in the UNESCO professorships in Africa.
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Support to the implementation of the programme of activities determined by the Conference of Vice-chancellors of Francophone Universities in Africa and the Indian Ocean.
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The creation of two new UNESCO professorships on the training of teachers and in distance-learning.
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The updating of a database on the UNESCO professorships in Africa.
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Student and teacher exchange programmes
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The organisation of the 7th ordinary session of the regional follow-up committee of the Arusha Convention.
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The organisation of the 3rd regional training workshop on the recognition of programmes of study and diplomas.
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The preparation of a regional African mechanism of accreditation of training programmes.
