UNAM’s Matengu elected President of African Universities body

UNAM Vice‑Chancellor, Professor Dr. Kenneth Kamwi Matengu

The University of Namibia’s Vice‑Chancellor, Professor Dr. Kenneth Kamwi Matengu, has been elected as the 14th President of the Governing Board of the Association of African Universities (AAU). He secured a commanding 67.1% of the vote at the 16th AAU General Conference held in Rabat, Morocco, from 21–25 July 2025.

Matengu succeeds Sudan’s Prof. Saeed Bakri Osman and will serve in the continental leadership role alongside his duties as UNAM Vice‑Chancellor and as President of the Pan‑African University Council.

In his acceptance remarks, Matengu emphasised the need to fast-track the creation of an African Credit Transfer System to harmonise qualifications across francophone, anglophone, and lusophone education systems, thereby improving student mobility and continental academic integration.

UNAM spokesperson Simon Namesho confirmed the election outcome, highlighting Namibia’s growing influence in African higher education.