(IUS Africa Continental Conference) – From April 9th to 12th, the general coordinator of the IUS, Fr Oscar Lozano along with authorities of the IUS in Africa congregated at the Instituto Superior Dom Bosco in Maputo, Mozambique for the annual conference. The gathering follows a dedicated year and a half of special guidance from the IUS general coordinator. The aim of the conference was to reunite the IUS at a continental level, exchange experiences, and realign with the common objectives of the IUS network established in the documents of the VIII IUS Assembly (Rome 2002).
Authorities present included Father José Meloni from the Instituto Superior Dom Bosco (Mozambique), Father Dieudonné Besa from Don Bosco University Lubumbashi (UDBL) Congo; Father Didier Eklou from the Institut Supérieur Don Bosco (Togo); and Father Luvundo Capalo representing the Instituto Superior Dom Bosco (Angola). Father Inspector Adolfo Sarmento inaugurated the conference with a warm welcome.
The proceedings included a keynote speech from Dr. Cipriano Parafino Goncalves titled “Prospects of Higher Education in Africa.” Discussions unfolded in an atmosphere of Salesian brotherhood, achieving the objectives outlined in the “Common Program 3 – IUS Africa.”
In a significant moment of the conference, Father Dieudonné Besa from IUS Lubumbashi-Congo was elected as the continental coordinator, an important role for the continuous advancement and coordination of Salesian higher Education educational efforts across the institutions in Africa.
The IUS Africa Conference is an important event in the pursuit of educational excellence and collaboration across IUS institutions in the continent. Along with dialogue, best practices, and leadership, the conference continues to lay guidance for the future of Africa.
