The AAU Biennial
Conference of Rectors
& Vice Chancellors 2023

The COREVIP/General Conference of the AAU is the highest decision making body of the Association. This is an assembly of representatives of all member institutions, and is organized in two parts as follows:

1. The Business Session:

   The Business Session assesses the activities implemented over the previous four years against a background of the Core Programme of Activities and a budget approved at the previous Conference;
   • approves the plan of activities and budget for the following strategic plan period; and
   • elects the governing board members of the Association including the President and three (3) Vice – Presidents, from among the Vice – Chancellors, Presidents and Rectors of its member institutions.



2. The Scientific/Thematic Session:

   The COREVIP is an assembly of the chief executive officers of member institutions or their representatives, which meets every two years with the purpose of:

   • Examining collectively, themes identified as common concerns and priorities for the development of higher education in Africa;
   • Making recommendations primarily to AAU member Institutions, as well as to the Governing Board and to the Secretariat; and
   • Acting as a mid-term conference and taking stock of the implementation of the decisions of the COREVIP and recommending corrective measures, if any.

The Association of African Universities (AAU), whose headquarters is in Accra, Ghana, was founded in Rabat, Morocco on November 12, 1967, following recommendations made at an earlier conference organized by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Antananarivo, Madagascar in September 1962 for the formation of such an apex organization.

The Antananarivo recommendations were taken up by a preparatory Committee of the heads of African institutions of higher education, which met in Khartoum in September 1963 and drafted the founding constitution of the Association. With an initial membership of 34, the Association now has over 340 members, cutting across the language and other divides.

The Association has provided a platform for research, reflection, consultation, debates, co-operation and collaboration on issues pertaining to higher education. It has provided a range of services to its members and served African higher education in a variety of ways. It has established and increased its role in the five sub-regions of Africa and is thus able, at reasonable notice, to assemble teams of experts in relevant fields from the sub-regions.

The Association possesses a unique capacity to convene higher education institutional leaders and policy-makers from all parts of the continent and on key issues related to African higher education and development, as demonstrated in the WTO/GATS workshop held in Ghana in April 2004. In addition, the Association provides leadership in the identification of emerging issues and support for debating them and facilitating appropriate follow-up action by its members, partners and other stakeholders.

The conference will be held simultaneously in English, French and Arabic.

Online registration form is available by clicking the link below: registration form

• The registration fee is US$500 for representatives of AAU member universities, and
• US$600 for non-AAU members and other stakeholders.
• Participants from Namibia will pay US$250 per person.

This amount covers the conference documents, lunch and tea/coffee breaks as well as a copy of conference proceedings.

Prior to the conference, conference documents will be shared online with only registered participants. It is therefore important that all participants endeavour to carry along their laptops or other reading devices as there will be no hard copies available.

Invitation letters under the signature of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Namibia would be issued to each delegate to facilitate visa processing. Participants are responsible for their travel to and from Namibia, as well as accommodation, extra meals, and any other hotel expenses (laundry, phone calls, secretarial services, etc.) incurred during their stay in Namibia. The AAU will not assume responsibility for any unpaid bills. Group lunches, and tea/coffee breaks on the four conference days are, however, covered by the registration fee.

Accomodation

Participants are advised to make advanced reservations for accommodation at the following hotels:

Please note that:

1. These hotels require that you confirm your reservations by 15th April 2023 after this date accommodation cannot be guaranteed.
2. The room rates indicated above are inclusive of bed and breakfast only. It also includes free internet access.

Accommodation payments should be made directly to the hotels selected by participants, or for a discount, bookings should be channelled through the Local Organising Committee.
For those who book directly with the hotels, kindly email your proof of payment to the LOC via: corevip2023@unam.na

Your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay in Namibia. In most cases, the passport’s expiry date should be at least six (6) months prior to the travel date.
Visa requirements should be confirmed with the travel office in your country of departure. Participants travelling on National passports are advised to obtain a Namibia visa before departure.
All participants MUST HOLD:

• letters of invitation from the host institution;
• return tickets to their country of residence; and
• proof of sufficient funds for their stay.

Please note that you can acquire a Namibia visa application form at the Namibian High Commission /Embassy in your country.
Please also note that delegates needing visas on arrival (those without Namibia High Commissions/Embassies in their country) will need to send the biodata pages of their passports to the Local Organising Committee via email: corevip2023@unam.na

A YELLOW FEVER Vaccination Certificate is required from participants coming from infected areas. The countries and areas included in the endemic zones are considered as infected areas and include the following:

Angola	Equatorial Guinea	Rwanda
Benin	Ethiopia	Sao Tomé & Principe
Burkina Faso	Gabon	Senegal
Burundi	Gambia	Sierra Leone
Cameroon	Ghana	Somalia
Central African Republic	Guinea-Bissau	Sudan
Chad	Kenya	Tanzania
Congo	Liberia	Togo
Cote d’Ivoire	Mali	Uganda
Democratic Republic of Congo	Niger	Zambia
	Nigeria

It should be pointed out that the Vaccination Certificate for Yellow Fever is valid ten (10) days after the date of vaccination or in case of re-vaccination as from the date of re-vaccination. Furthermore, participants may be subject to further medical screening, such as Ebola and other communicable diseases on arrival in Namibia, and participants may be under health surveillance during their stay in the country.
All other health-related protocols, including COVID-19 vaccination requirements for international travellers are to be observed.

Kindly note that flights to Namibia come through the Hosea Kutako International Airport. As participants will be met on arrival, kindly send your flight details to the Local Organising Committee well in advance for the necessary transport arrangements to be made on time.
Free wireless internet services will be provided during the conference. At the Hotels, Business Centres with a limited number of computers may be available for participants’ use at a fee.
SIM cards and airtime for your cell phones are locally available.
For other official communication costs (international phone call, etc.), please check telephone service charges with the hotel before use as participants shall pay for the related costs directly to the hotel before or upon check-out.

The currency of Namibia is the Namibia Dollar. The commercial exchange rate is subject to change daily. There are banks and licenced currency exchange bureaux located at the airport and in the City. You may exchange from the hotel cashier as well. For more information on currency exchange rates, please visit: http://www.xe.com/.
It is advised to use banks rather than hotels to get the best available rate. Banking hours are from 09.00 am to 15.30 pm on weekdays. Most major credit/visa cards are universally accepted.

The supply voltage in Namibia is 230 V and 50Hz. There are two associated plug types, types D (three round pins in a triangular pattern) and type M (three round pins). You are advised to bring a universal adapter/converter as necessary.

During registration in Namibia, a list of excursion sites would be availed to participants who would have to indicate which one(s) they would wish to visit so that the necessary arrangements can be finalised. These excursions will come at a cost to be borne by participants.
The following are the recommended excursions and their associated costs:

• Tours organised by Sense of Africa

Description	Cost per person (US Dollars)	Comment
Two-Hour Guided City Tour on Foot	US$32	Starts at 08:00
Half-Day Windhoek Tasting Tour	US$60	Starts at 14:00
Half-Day Guided Nature Walk	US$35	Starts at 08:00
Half-Day City / Katutura Tour	US$49	Starts at 09:00
Full Day Gocheganas Nature Drive +Lunch	US$230	Starts at 08:30




Register
• Tours organised by People’s Tour and Safari

Description	Cost per person (US Dollars)	Comment
Windhoek – N/aankuse Wildlife Sanctuary (up close with wild cats)	NAD	5 hours
Windhoek – N/aankuse Wildlife Sanctuary (Carnivore Feeding)	NAD	2.5 hours
City Tour at Windhoek	NAD	2 hours




Tour Brochure

The month of July is characterized by average temperatures of between 6°C and 20°C.
Daylight hours are approximately from 07.30 to 18.30 during this period of the year.