UoN to host The Association of Commonwealth Universities 2025 Congress
The University of Nairobi will proudly host a physical meeting of Leaders of member universities of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Congress 2025 after several years on 26th -28th November 2025, at the UoN Main Campus.
The UoN has been a member of the ACU for over 50 years. ACU is a global network of institutions committed to building a better world through international collaboration in higher education. As the world’s first and oldest international university network, the ACU has been connecting universities across the Commonwealth for more than 100 years.
We live in an era marked by unprecedented challenges and rapid transformations, and universities across the globe are at a critical juncture. The ACU invites senior leaders in higher education to an international collaboration conference centered on the theme of Connected and resilient: Commonwealth universities charting global change.
The inaugural welcome ceremony on 26th November will take place at National Museum of Kenya. The evening will provide a great opportunity for networking ahead of the two-day conference. The first day of the conference (27th November) will feature a busy agenda packed with sessions and ample networking opportunities. The evening dinner reception is included as part of the ACU Congress ticket. The second and final day (28th November) will continue with more engaging conference sessions.
These planned sessions will cover topics such as the resilience of the sector, national renewal and emerging trends, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reimagining global engagement, and future thinkers and trends.
The event is designed exclusively for executive heads of Commonwealth universities; key reasons for vice-chancellors to attend include: a unique mix of thought-provoking keynote speeches, engaging panel discussions, and closed-door roundtables run under the Chatham House Rule, sharing best practice, engaging in topical discussions about the challenges facing higher education and hearing from prominent speakers from across the Commonwealth.
The Congress Speakers and panelists include former United Nations Under- Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Deputy President of South Africa, and Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Vice President of the World Bank’s Africa Region (2007-2012), Nigeria’s Minister of Education (2006-2007) and Minister of Solid Minerals (2005-2006), Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili. Commissioner of Jobs and Skills Australia Professor Barney Glover AO, Vice-chancellor of the University of Nairobi Professor Margaret Hutchinson, ACU Secretary General and Chief Executive Professor Colin Riordan, Co-founder and CEO of Actua Jennifer Flanagan, Dean, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Proffesor Soumitra Dutta and Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities (AAU) Professor Olusola Oyewole.
For more information visit: https://www.acu.ac.uk/members/acu-congress-2025#book
