The Africa University Board of Directors physical meeting was held in March in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, after the various virtual committee meetings of the Board earlier in the month. The Board also had the opportunity to visit and fellowship with the local UMC community and gain insight into the impact of the church in the country. Africa University alumni from Tanzania were present to celebrate the many milestones of the institution and deliberate on their role and sustained contribution to the inspirational story of Africa University into its fourth decade under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Reverend Professor Peter Mageto.
Your support of the Africa University Fund apportionment supports the general operating expenses of Africa University including faculty and staff salaries and vital infrastructure.
Opening the Board session with a retreat for members aimed at engaging, strategizing and reimagining the role of the Board in the leadership of the university led members through the rich history of the university, its founding philosophy and planned trajectory. The session also served as an induction for new members joining the AU Board of Directors, of note, Mrs. Vongai Matangaidze, an alumna of AU and a successful businesswoman leading various investment portfolios for whom the March 2023 meetings were her first.
The Board visited Muvuti Mission under the Tanzania Conference to witness UMC projects under the direction and support of AU Board Chairman Bishop Dr. Mande Muyombo who also leads the North Katanga Area. The Board also spent the afternoon visiting the Global Mission Secondary School (GMSS), touring the campus led by its pupils and hosted by school Director Ms. Young Seon Kim.
AU’s executive led by VC Rev. Prof. Mageto hosted a banquet in honor of Board members. In remarks made to Africa University from both diplomatic missions, appreciation was given for the continued investment in Africa by the institution through education, granting the continent and its people increased self- determination in matters of sustainable development, innovation and the propagation of entrepreneurship to drive economic growth and empowerment.
Rounding off the March Board Meetings saw the reports from the Vice Chancellor and the Associate Vice Chancellor for the AU Zimbabwe and AU Tennessee Inc. plenaries delivered respectively where institutional sustainability, student centeredness and the continued pursuit of excellence formed the foundation of both sessions with a call for the continued vigor and passion for the mission of Africa University being made to alumni especially, who came out in their numbers to support the Board while in session in Tanzania.
The March 2023 Board meetings were the last of Board member Reverend Jorgen Thaarup from Denmark, Europe Central Conference, who joined the Board in October 2012 serving for 10 years. Rev. Thaarup was the Chairperson of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee overseeing the successful implementation of academic policies and programs for the enrichment of student life and experiences. AU remains a mission that moves hearts and minds and whose impact across the continent is testament of God’s work being done.
excerpt from a story by Jeanette Dadzie, Africa University website
One of seven apportioned giving opportunities of The United Methodist Church, the Africa University Fund transforms Africa by educating and empowering students from across the continent through Africa University, the first fully accredited, United Methodist-related educational institution on the continent. The Africa University Fund supports the general operating expenses of Africa University including faculty and staff salaries and vital infrastructure. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the Africa University Fund at 100 percent.
