Towards Partnership in Higher Education with Sub- Saharan Africa - Omar El Samani El Sheikh İbrahim
Written by <a href="http://www.tasamafrika.org/en/component/comprofiler/userprofile/Omar%20El%20Samani%20El%20Sheikh%20İbrahim.html">Omar El Samani El Sheikh İbrahim</a>   
Higher education institutions in Africa can be traced back to two or three centuries B.C. Alexandria library and Museum were good manifestation to that. It was argued that for well over a millennium, the scholarly achievements of ancient Alexandria served as guiding lights for the great humanists of European Renaissance (1). During the early years of Christianity, the philosophical and theological speculations of Alexandria’s clergy and the Ethiopian educational establishments constituted continuation to the earlier institutions.

Perhaps most remarkable to the creation of the modern University were the contributions of the Africa Islamic Universities , notably the University of Karawiyyin (founded 859 A.D.) and AL Azhar (found 969 A.D.) . These together with their academic achievements, had drawn an international community of students and staff .The academic standard of these institutions can be evaluated if scholars like the great historian and sociologist of all times, Ibn Khaldoun, was among the staff of AL Azhar during the period (1382-1421 A.D.)(2). The University of Timbuktu presented a different flavour since it was not centralised but had a number of independent schools (compuses). It is hoped that the present project (3) will uncover the great scholarly contributions of this University.

The major characteristics of these institutions were that they were indigenous, relevant and were responsive to their community's problems.
< Prev   Next >