The 2025 Australia-Africa Universities Network (AAUN) Africa Forum officially opened on Wednesday evening, bringing together leading academics, policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education and sustainable development.
Hosted by the University of Rwanda at the Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village, the two-day forum is themed “Artificial Intelligence and Higher Education.” The event seeks to foster international collaboration on AI-driven innovation in academia.
The Australia-Africa Universities Network (AAUN), dedicated to strengthening research and educational ties between African and Australian institutions, currently comprises 24 member universities—14 from Africa and 10 from Australia.
In his opening remarks, University of Rwanda Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Kayihura Muganga Didas welcomed delegates and expressed the university’s pride in hosting the forum, just two years after joining AAUN.
“On behalf of the University of Rwanda and the entire hosting community, I extend our warmest greetings to each one of you—our partners, scholars, researchers, and innovators who have traveled from across the continent to be with us today,” he said.
Prof. Didas highlighted Rwanda’s increasing engagement in AI discussions, referencing the country’s recent hosting of a global AI conference in April 2025, themed “AI and Africa’s Demographic Dividend: Reimagining Economic Opportunities for Africa’s Workforce.”
He also announced that the University of Rwanda would host another major global event in October focused on “Building Trust in Higher Education,” welcoming members of the International Association of Universities and other key stakeholders.
Emphasizing the forum’s importance, he described it as more than an academic gathering—a strategic platform for exploring AI’s impact on teaching, research, and societal challenges.
“We must be prepared for the future—or better yet—commit to contributing to a better one,” he stated.
Reflecting on the broader implications of AI in higher education, he urged participants to center their discussions on fundamental academic values: equity, inclusion, sustainability, and excellence.
“As we engage in these two days, let us keep at the center of our dialogue the values that bind us: equity, inclusion, sustainability, and academic excellence,” he said. “Part of us is quite scared, part of us quite optimistic about what AI holds for us. But we nevertheless have to commit to working on it, keeping with it, improving it, and finding our position as human beings, as intellectuals.”
Prof. Aldo Stroebel, Co-Chair of AAUN Africa, commended the University of Rwanda’s contributions to the network, especially VC Kayihura for a warm welcome.
“Professor Didas, thank you indeed in advance for this most outstanding hosting. The University of Rwanda has been a very strong partner, even as a new member,” he said.
Elisa Uwineza / Kaminuza Star