In a historic win for Namibian academia, Prof. Dr. Kenneth Matengu has been elected as the 14th President of the Governing Board of the Association of African Universities (AAU).
This landmark election took place during the 16th AAU General Conference in Rabat, Morocco, and was announced on 25 July 2025, the final day of the Conference.
Prof. Matengu secured a decisive victory, receiving 67.1% of the vote against Prof. Mohammed Rhachi of Mohammed V University in Rabat, who garnered 32.9%.
He succeeds Prof. Saeed Bakri Osman from Sudan International University and will serve in this pivotal continental role alongside his responsibilities as UNAM’s Vice-Chancellor, where he is currently in his second term, effective August 2024. Prof. Matengu is also serving his second term as President of the Pan-African University Council, a role he was re-elected to in July 2024.
The AAU, established in Rabat in 1967 and headquartered in Accra, Ghana, is Africa’s apex association dedicated to enhancing the quality, relevance, and impact of higher education across the continent.
The Association represents over 400 African universities and champions research excellence, quality assurance, leadership development, inter-institutional collaboration, and strategic support of Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Reflecting on his historic election, Prof. Matengu remarked: “Today, you chose to make me the 14th President of the AAU. We must fast-track the continental quality assurance framework and harmonisation to enable the creation of our African Credit Transfer System. This will increase mobility and permit recognition of qualifications from the francophone, lusophone and anglophone systems of higher education”.
He expressed sincere gratitude to the African Vice Chancellors for the confidence they have in electing him as President for African premier alliance of universities.
UNAM, which previously hosted the AAU Conference of Rectors, Vice-Chancellors, and Presidents (COREVIP) in Windhoek in July 2023, congratulates Prof. Matengu wholeheartedly and commits to supporting him in his new leadership role to advance African higher education, innovation, and sustainable development.
