A high-level forum in Lancaster, United Kingdom, has called for African universities to embrace strategic governance and visionary leadership to remain competitive in an era of artificial intelligence, shrinking funding and rising accountability.
The conference, themed Governing Councils as Strategic Stewards and Custodians of Institutional Performance, brought together university leaders, policymakers and governance experts from across the world.
Delivering the keynote address, Mount Kenya University (MKU) Council Chairman and Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Vincent Gaitho, said institutional success increasingly depends on the quality of governance rather than academic excellence alone.
He urged governing councils to shift from compliance-focused oversight to strategic stewardship that drives innovation, financial sustainability and long-term growth.
Participants stressed the need for capable governing councils, cohesive leadership teams and clear separation of governance and management roles to enhance institutional performance. Discussions also highlighted digital governance, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data governance and the need to diversify university revenue through research commercialisation, endowments and industry partnerships.
On the sidelines of the conference, MKU strengthened collaboration with the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and Mount Kigali University, expanding cooperation in joint academic programmes, research, student and staff exchanges, and leadership development.
The forum concluded that bold governance reforms, strong leadership and international partnerships are essential for African universities to enhance their global competitiveness while equipping graduates with skills for innovation, entrepreneurship and the future workforce.
Some of the moments as captured in pictures
