2018 ZAPUC International Conference (ZAPUC-2018)

Concept Note

The Zambia Association of Public Universities and Colleges (ZAPUC) will be hosting an international conference from 29 April to 3 May 2018 in the Zambia’s tourist capital, Livingstone at Avani Hotel, located at the banks of the Victoria Falls. The conference will bring together educationists, researchers, policy makers, government officials and industry to reflect on the role of Universities and colleges in sustainable national development. The conference will give an opportunity to the participants to gauge how higher education could be a key contributor to the realization of the sustainable development goals with the Agenda 2030 and beyond. The conference is co-sponsored by various partners

Background

The role of higher education in the socio-economic development of any nation cannot be overemphasized. Universities and colleges world over are viewed to be the major source of manpower to drive the nations’ development agendas. Universities and colleges are kind of global institutions that are durable and enduring. When wisely designed, governed and financed, they are unique entities which are neutral conveners, assemblers of talent, and unmatched idea factories where the creativity and idealism of great minds, young and old alike, can be applied to solve problems faced by society.

Most African countries are endowed with abundant natural resources but still remain amongst the poorest nations of the world. Zambia, for instance, is the 48th poorest nation in the world out of 189 countries captured according to the Global Financing Magazine of 13th February 2017. The Democratic Republic of Congo, rich in mineral resources, is the second poorest nation in the world. A lot of questions can be posed to find out where things are going wrong including questioning the calibre of manpower being trained to uplift the socio-economic status of respective nations and the type of research needed to provide lasting solutions, hence the need for this conference.

Conference Details

Objectives of the Conference

The main objective of the conference is to reflect on the role of higher education in sustainable national development with particular reference to the Sub-Saharan Africa. It is expected that the conference will bring out issues that our respective governments and higher learning institutions will consider for repositioning and transformation of higher education to effectively contribute to sustainable national development.

The theme of the conference is “Re-positioning the role of Universities and Colleges in Sustainable National Development”

Conference Guest of Honour

The Minister of Higher Education, Hon. Professor Nkandu Luo, MP.

Expected Benefits/ outcomes of the Conference

1. Share, experiences, information, research results and collaborate in solving challenges that cross borders; in unlocking and harnessing new knowledge; in building cultural and political understanding; and in modeling environments that promote dialogue and debate and positively contribute to national development.

2. Forge mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations among higher education institutions and with industry and government. The borderless partnerships keep growing in nature and increasing in number of activities yielding several benefits for the higher learning institutions. For example, the collaboration between Harvard and the government of Botswana has over a decade and a half made significant progress in AIDS prevention and treatment. One of its greatest successes has been in all but eliminating mother-child transmission of HIV/AIDS in a study population.

These benefits which enhances collaborations and partnering would provoke a new way of co-financing and undertaking projects thereby improving utility of the limited government funding.