On 21 February 2019, was held in Tlemcen, Algeria, within the premises of the Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences including Climate change (PAUWES), the first Planning Meeting of the Pan African University for the year 2019.

Presided over by the PAU Interim Rector of the Pan African University, Prof Kassa Belay, this meeting aimed at taking stock of the progress made in the implementation of the resolutions taken at the last PAU planning meeting, address current issues and make prospects to ensure consistence with PAU’s objectives and sustainability for the institute.

The meeting started with a welcome and opening address delivered by Prof. Kassa Belay. Participants included: PAU Institute Directors, except Prof. Abatan from PAULESI, PAU Rectorate Staff.

The major points on the agenda included:

• Selection and admission of students for the 2019/2020 Academic Year;
• Audit and queries management response;
• Additional input for the 2020 budget;
• Curriculum review
• Review of PAU policy documents
• Adoption of resolutions

Within the framework of academic issues, Directors of PAU Institutes were given the floor to make an update and present new developments in the various Institutes under their supervision. The admission of new students and the 2019/2020 Call for Scholarships were also discussed.

Financial issues were also debated upon. They were raised and presented by Celestin Gouem, the PAU Senior Admin and Finance Officer.  Thus, the PAU 2020 budget was discussed as well as students’ stipends, settlement and departure allowance including the need to harmonize the payment of PAU staff.

In terms of policy, PAU policy documents including the PAU staff Rules and Regulations and the PAU Financial Rules and Regulations were also discussed. The presentation of the 2019/2020 PAU Roadmap was the last topic discussed during this meeting.

At the end of the meeting, several resolutions were taken including inter alia:

• The endorsement of the upcoming recruitment of two long-term staff at PAUWES and considers the need to urgently interact with the Security and Social Department of Algeria to solve issues relating to their arrival;
• Endorsement of the launching of the Call for Scholarship for new students for the 2019-2020 Academic Year;
• Recognition of the need to build an institutional memory of Institutes that will include the number of students, transcripts, research works, etc.
• Recognition of the need to harmonize the rate of top allowances to ensure sustainability of funding for seconded staff.