University professor and educational coordinator of the relocated Master's degree in Management and International Trade from Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 to Joseph KI-ZERBO University, the new Rector of the Pan-African University (PAU), a university established to create institutions of excellence in science, technology, innovation, social sciences, humanities and studies applied to governance, has assumed duties at the end of last week.

Professor, here is your chair! Jean Koulidiati is officially the new head of the Pan-African University. Appointed as head of the university last June, this seasoned intellectual has taken office since last week. A new challenge for which he has more than enough credentials, considering the size of his CV coupled with his impressive academic and political background. He was the President of the University of Ouagadougou (now Joseph KI-ZERBO University), Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development and then Minister of Digital Economy Development and Postal Services in Burkina Faso. Jean Koulidiati, known for his rigour, methodology and sound experience in the world of higher education, is once again donning his university professorial robes to lead the Pan-African University (UPA) from now on. He replaces Prof. Kassa Belay, who retired in 2021. His successor takes over the reins of a continental university and research institution established by the African Union, based on guiding principles such as freedom, academic accountability and quality assurance.  

Prof. Koulidiati has the daunting task of directing the five thematic institutes based within the existing institutions located in the five geographical regions of the African Union, namely: Life and Earth Sciences (including Health and Agriculture), established at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria for West Africa; Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, established at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Jkuat) in Kenya for East Africa; Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences, established at the University of Yaoundé II (Soa) in Cameroon for Central Africa; Water and Energy Sciences (including Climate Change), established at the University of Tlemcen in Algeria for North Africa; and Space Sciences (soon to be operational), based in South Africa, for Southern Africa.

For further information, please contact:

Claudette Chancelle BILAMPASSI MOUTSATSI| ESTI Department, AfricanUnion Commission | Tel: +251 115 517 700 | E-mail:BilampassiC@africa-union.org