By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The African Union (AU) has
opened the 6th Ordinary Session of its Specialised Technical Committee on
Education, Science and Technology (STC-EST VI) at the AU Headquarters in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, bringing together Member States, senior officials, technical
experts and international partners to advance Africa's education, science,
technology and innovation agenda.
The session officially
commenced on November 2, 2026, under the theme, "Accelerating Africa’s
Human Capital and Innovation: Resilient Education, Science, and Technology
Systems for the AU Decade of Action (2025–2034)."
The continental meeting aims
to align policy dialogue and accelerate system transformation across Africa,
with discussions focusing on translating continental frameworks into practical
national reforms and strengthening regional cooperation.
Key frameworks expected to
guide deliberations include the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA
2026–2035), the Continental TVET Strategy (2025–2034) and the Science,
Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2034).
Participants are also
expected to deliberate on strengthening foundational learning, teacher
professionalization and inclusive digital learning systems to improve access to
education across the continent.
Skills development and youth
employability will form another major area of focus, with discussions
addressing the modernisation of Technical and Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) systems, lifelong learning and entrepreneurship pathways for Africa's
youth.
On science and technology,
the session will examine opportunities to harness artificial intelligence,
expand science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) transformation,
promote research commercialisation and advance climate innovation.
The meeting will also
address sustainable financing and partnerships, including the mobilisation of
domestic and international resources to secure long-term resilience across
education, science and technology systems.
The African Union Commission
said the collective efforts aim to position education, science, technology and
innovation as core drivers of economic development, youth empowerment and
continent-wide resilience.
