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February 10, 2025The Association of African Universities (AAU) is pleased to invite stakeholders to a strategic workshop on Safety and Security being hosted under the theme “Revival and Refocusing of Security Departments in African Universities and Colleges in the 21st Century.” This event forms part of the AAU’s ongoing commitment to enhancing safety and security and promoting a peaceful environment to advance excellence in higher education across Africa. The workshop will take place from March 18-20, 2025, at the Pearle Beach Resort, Mauritius, and is being hosted in collaboration with the University of Technology, Mauritius. To register to participate, please click on this link – https://forms.office.com/r/HjqAUhTzcX.
This initiative aligns with AAU’s mission to strengthen the capacity of leaders within Africa’s higher education community. Safety and security are critical issues facing African universities, as many campuses grapple with violent protests, gender-based violence, theft, and other criminal activities (Dlamini & Olarewaju, 2021; Mkhize et al., 2022). For instance, movements like FeesMustFall in South Africa and incidents of sexual violence on various campuses have highlighted the urgent need for effective security policies and measures.
Research indicates that integrating safety and security measures can significantly reduce risks, enhance resilience, and improve overall campus life (Gallagher Content Team, 2024). Secure campuses foster positive learning environments, boost academic outcomes, encourage community engagement, and enhance institutional reputations. This workshop seeks to address these challenges by equipping institutions with the tools and strategies needed to safeguard students, staff, and assets effectively.
OBJECTIVES
The workshop aims to provide a vital platform for enhancing campus safety and security across African universities.
Specifically, the workshop seeks to:
- Enhance the knowledge and skills of security personnel, enabling them to design and implement advanced access control systems, effectively leveraging cutting-edge technology.
- Emphasize the importance of adopting proactive security policies, including regular safety audits, emergency preparedness drills, and clear communication channels for incident reporting
- Promote a collaborative approach involving students, faculty, and administration to foster a safer campus environment.
- Cover essential topics such as personal safety and awareness, emergency response and evacuation procedures, cybersecurity and data protection, conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques, first aid and CPR training, and asset-cycle management.
WORKSHOP STRUCTURE
Each course is designed as a module delivered through an intensive 3-day session. Key topics will include:
- Personal Safety and Awareness
- Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures
- Cybersecurity and Data Protection
- Conflict Resolution and De-escalation Techniques
- First Aid and CPR Training
- Asset life-cycle management
METHODOLOGY
The workshop has adopted a strategic methodology that will include effective approaches, such as the use of case studies, focused group discussions, experiential learning (case studies from universities in the various regions of Africa), presentations, and sharing of ideas, knowledge, and skills. The workshop will institute a follow-up process to ensure that university management implements the good practices to be learned from the workshop at their various institutions of higher learning. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with peers on the various challenges at their universities and strategies to overcome them. A postworkshop report will be compiled, and recommendations made will be integrated into improving subsequent workshops.
TARGET GROUP
The workshop is designed for key decision-makers and stakeholders, including
Vice Chancellors, Presidents, Rectors, Directors, Registrars, Campus Security and Safety Officers, and other Professionals responsible for formulating and implementing security policies.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Main Workshop Dates: 18th-20th March, 2025.
Venue: Pearle Beach Resort Mauritius
Workshop Host: University of Technology, Mauritius
WORKSHOP FEES
- AAU Members- $700
- NON-AAU Members- $800
- Institutions in Mauritius (subsidized fee)-$500
Registration covers the conference package including training materials, certificates, tea/coffee, and lunches for the three-day workshop. Participants will be responsible for their own dinners.
To register, kindly click on the link below: https://forms.office.com/r/HjqAUhTzcX
HOTEL | COST PER NIGHT | CONTACTS FOR BOOKING |
PEARLE BEACH (conference venue) | USD 147 | events@pearlebeachresort.com |
GOLD BEACH (adjacent to conference venue) | USD 136.96 | events@pearlebeachresort.com |
MANISA HOTEL: (15 minutes walking distance) | USD 107 | manisa@intnet.mu |
AANARI (20 minutes walking distance) https://www.aanari.com/ | USD 115 | esa@aanari.com |
CONTACT DETAILS – elaari@aau.org or WhatsApp +233-264173153. LANGUAGE:
The main training language is English.
About the Association of African Universities
The Association of African Universities (AAU), founded in 1967 with an initial membership of 34 universities, currently has over 400 member institutions spread across 46 African countries. The Association represents the voice of higher education in Africa and draws its membership from all five sub-regions of Africa and operates in four official languages, namely English, French, Portuguese and Arabic. The Association’s mandate as an apex organization for higher education in Africa is to promote cooperation, academic linkages and exchange of information on higher education issues across the continent. The mandate further extends to