Membership

Any university desiring membership in the Association shall submit an online application for membership to the Governing Board at least one month before the convening of the next General Conference. The application shall confirm that the applicant intends to adhere to the aims and objectives of the AAU and that the applicant meets the requirements set forth in Section I of the Bye-Laws.

The Governing Board may admit new members subject to ratification at the next General Conference by a simple majority of voting members present.

Categories of Membership

Two categories of members are spelt out under Article III (Sections 1 to 5) of the Constitution of the Association of African Universities as follows:

Full Membership

Section 1:

Full Membership to the Association is open to

(a) Universities in Africa

(b) Institutions of higher education in Africa, which have university status in their respective countries.

Section 2:

(a) The Governing Board admits new members subject to ratification by the General Conference following the decision

(b) In recommending admission, the Governing Board shall be guided by the ‘charter’ or the instrument of incorporation of the applicant

(c) Where the applicant operates in a country with a national accreditation board or process, the Governing Board may take the decision of such a body into account in considering the application

Associate Membership

Section 3:

An institution which does not satisfy Section 1 of this Article may be admitted as an Associate Member.

Section 4:

If in an African country there is no institution which is eligible to be admitted as a member of the Association in accordance with the provisions of the preceding sections of this Article, one institution of higher learning in that country may as a special case be admitted as an Associate member of the Association.

Section 5:

Associate membership may be extended to other institutions of higher education or regional bodies and networks whose members are accredited universities or whose objectives are to promote activities of universities, whether located in or outside Africa, in accordance with Section 2 of this Article and any bye-laws enacted for the purpose.

Exceptional Admissions to Membership

Associate Members shall have the same rights and privileges and the duties of members except that an Associate Member may not vote or be a member of the Executive Board.

If and when an Associate Member fulfils the requirements for full membership, they may be admitted to full membership at the next General Conference by a simple majority of voting members present provided the Association has received advice in writing from the Associate Member, through the Governing Board, of the attainment of such status.

Subscription Rates

The Annual Membership Subscriptions rates are as follows:

Full Members Up to 500 Students – US$2,000

Full Members Over 500 Students – US$3,000

Associate members – US$2,000

In special circumstances, additional contributions and subscriptions may be recommended by the Governing Board.

Membership Benefits

  •  Participation in the Conference of Rectors, Vice Chancellors & Presidents of African Universities (COREVIP).
  • Inclusion of research outputs on the Database of African Theses and Dissertations and Research (DATAD-R) platform.
  • Advertisement of academic jobs / institutional news on the AAU online Weekly news bulletin, Website, social media platforms & other information outlets.
  • Invitation to host AAU events / speak at AAU Conferences.
  • Right to vote / stand for election as President & as Governing Board Member.
  • Opportunity for faculty to participate in Academic Staff Exchange missions.
  • Opportunity for graduate students to benefit from Small Grants for Theses and Dissertations.
  • Opportunity for graduate students to benefit from funded internship programme.