His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal, presided over the official opening ceremony of the national consultations on Higher Education, Research, and Innovation on Thursday, July 17, 2025.
Before an audience of academics, researchers, students, and key stakeholders in the sector, the Head of State advocated for a profound overhaul of the Senegalese university system. This transformation aims to align it with the imperatives of economic and social development, contemporary challenges, and the strategic objectives of the Senegal 2050 Vision.
In his speech, President Faye emphasized the need for the Senegalese university to assert its own identity. With determination, he stated: “Our knowledge is unique and authentic. It must no longer be relegated to the background in favor of imported models unsuited to our realities.” These words reflect the urgency of achieving true scientific and cultural sovereignty.
Among the identified priorities, the Head of State highlighted several strategic areas:
• Strengthening scientific and cultural sovereignty;
• Promoting multilingualism and endogenous knowledge;
• Reforming the baccalaureate and educational curricula;
• Ensuring sustainable funding for research and advancing digitalization;
• Equitably distributing university infrastructure across the territory;
• And the central role of higher education in Senegal’s structural transformation.
The President also called for breaking away from colonial legacies to anchor the education system in the country’s cultural, social, and economic realities.
Furthermore, he commended the commitment of the Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, Mr. Abdourahmane Diouf, and entrusted the coordination of the consultations to Professor Boubacar Diop.
This initiative reflects the State’s determination to build a modern Senegalese university, rooted in its heritage, equitable, and fully mobilized to strengthen national sovereignty and promote sustainable development.
Below is the speech by His Excellency, Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE, President of the Republic of Senegal:
The spoken word alone is authoritative - July 17, 2025
- Mr. Prime Minister,
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Government,
- Mr. Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation,
- Mr. Coordinator of the National Agenda for the Transformation of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation,
- Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Technical and Financial Partners,
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Employers’ Association,
- Mr. Executive Secretary of the National Authority for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANAQ-Sup),
- Rectors,
- Mr. Director General of the National Agency for Applied Scientific Research (ANRSA),
- Mr. Director General of the Senegalese Space Studies Agency (ASES),
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Directors of Higher Vocational Education Institutes (ISEP),
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Presidents, Directors General, and Directors of Private Higher Education Institutions,
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Representatives of Higher Education Unions,
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Representatives of Student Associations and Coordinations,
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Research Professors and Researchers,
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Administrative, Technical, and Service Staff,
- Dear Students,
- Dear Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
History teaches us that Senegal is a land of knowledge, profound understanding, and intelligence. Our knowledge is authentic, even though it has, at times, been shaped by complex historical moments and constrained exogenous factors. The Senegalese University, initially built on a colonial legacy, has continually forged its own path to establish its unique identity. This path is nourished by contributions from an open world, yet these influences must not overshadow our endogenous knowledge and the discoveries of our scholars who shine in the universe of knowledge.
We have inherited a university rooted in foreign knowledge but insufficiently grounded in our own. Sixty-five years after our independence, it is time to envision a modern Senegalese University, open to current transformations yet deeply rooted in our realities. A university oriented toward contemporary sciences such as artificial intelligence, digital technology, and other fields, while preserving its cultural identity.
Indeed, the Senegalese University faces multiple challenges that it must address: infrastructure, student numbers, curriculum issues, funding, digitalization, and more.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have nine (9) public universities, with those in Matam and Tambacounda to be added by the 2026 academic year; three hundred ninety-eight (398) private higher education institutions; six (6) Higher Vocational Education Institutes (ISEP); one (1) autonomous polytechnic school; seventy-three (73) Faculties and Training and Research Units (UFR); fifteen (13) Doctoral Schools; seven (7) Regional University Services Centers (CROUS); two hundred eighty-six thousand one hundred sixty-nine (286,169) students; seven thousand (7,000) administrative, technical, and service staff (PATS); two thousand four hundred ninety-five (2,495) research professors; and six thousand (6,000) adjunct faculty. The academic world must seize the opportunities presented by transformations in knowledge, research, and innovation to build a Senegalese University that is strong in its values and prepared for the complex evolution of knowledge.
The university must be rethought, refounded, and reinvented. It must respond to our aspirations, support national development, and fully align with the Systemic Transformation Agenda.
This transformation must encompass all levels: universities, schools, institutes, faculties, UFRs, doctoral schools, research laboratories, departments, and incubation centers. It requires bold, original, and new epistemological reflections, supported by strong political will.
The solemnity of today’s event calls us to address the major challenges facing our higher education system, which require sustainable solutions.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our territorial planning doctrine, through the eight (8) territorial hubs, is based on a principle of territorial equity that aims to leave no daughter or son of this country behind. We want higher education for all, regardless of where intellectual effort is produced and disseminated. We want higher education institutions everywhere, both for reasons of endogeneity and the geographic distribution of our talents.
The Senegalese University is one and indivisible. It enjoys scientific, pedagogical, and administrative autonomy. This autonomy must be strengthened by rational and transparent management of human and financial resources, ensuring genuine territorial equity.
I therefore call for the balanced development of territorial hubs for higher education, research, and innovation, in line with the equitable territorial policy I promote. I call for institutional mobility of research professors, the only guarantee of equal opportunity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
These consultations will provide sustainable solutions to the structural challenges of our higher education, research, and innovation system.
We must address the chronic instability of the academic calendar, which costs the state over 40 billion FCFA annually, or 400 billion FCFA over ten years. We must all agree that this situation is unsustainable. Adhering to the academic calendar is fundamental to ensuring quality education, organizing teaching effectively, conducting examinations smoothly, and reducing continuous expenditure throughout the year.
To achieve this goal, and in line with my instructions issued in the Council of Ministers’ communiqué of November 27, 2024, an Emergency Plan for university infrastructure will be launched shortly to ensure priority projects are completed.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our education system must be decolonized and refocused on our cultural, social, economic, and environmental realities. Senegal is a country rich in diverse cultures. The introduction of multilingualism in curricula, with greater recognition of national and African languages alongside the already established French and the generalization of English in higher education, reflects our commitment to addressing the complex challenges of the modern world. Multilingualism is not just a reality to acknowledge; it is a lever for inclusion, creativity, and intellectual emancipation.
Furthermore, endogenous knowledge, long marginalized, must reclaim its rightful place in our pedagogical content and research programs. It is time to fully recognize the richness of ancestral knowledge and cultural practices that have shaped our societies. The time has come to value our own epistemologies, our memory, our sciences, our arts, and our capacity to think for ourselves. This is an act of scientific and cultural sovereignty, positioning our higher education system as a central pillar in the sustainable development of our country.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Private higher education institutions have gained significant prominence in our educational landscape. They host one-third of Senegalese students and many students of African origin. They offer a wide range of diversified programs and are the cornerstone of Senegal’s academic diplomacy. They are an extension of the public higher education service and bear full responsibility for it. Rigorous oversight of their operations in terms of quality assurance is a prerequisite for successfully blending public and private sectors for the benefit of all.
In this regard, I place particular importance on extracurricular training, which shapes practical skills for raw talents developed outside traditional academic circuits. Given the high illiteracy rate in our country and linguistic barriers, this approach must be supported to curb talent loss and encourage inventiveness.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is an opportunity to once again congratulate our brave young engineers and technicians who facilitated the successful launch of Senegal’s first satellite in August 2024 and have begun the process for the second satellite. These advancements reinforce our vision of a Senegal of talents that innovates and looks to the future.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Research and innovation are two essential pillars for our nation’s development. The organization of research and innovation must be rethought to foster synergy between institutions and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. It is imperative to support the creation of shared platforms and strengthen ties between universities, national research institutes, and the private sector.
Moreover, research funding must become a national priority. We must diversify funding sources by mobilizing more public funds while encouraging partnerships with the private sector, international donors, and philanthropists.
Scientific publishing, documentation, and libraries play a central role in knowledge dissemination. We must support our university presses and promote the proliferation of publications by our researchers, doctoral students, and research professors. Digitizing archives and making documentary resources available online are also priorities to facilitate access to information for all.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The state is already making significant efforts despite evident budgetary constraints. Social services account for 46% of the Ministry of Higher Education’s budget, limiting resources available for research. For example, out of an annual investment of 1,118,738 FCFA per student, only 483,153 FCFA is allocated to pedagogy, with the rest going to social services. Despite these significant investments, the high early dropout rate (23.44%) remains alarming.
Upstream of this dysfunction are the baccalaureate and the Baccalaureate Office. Both need review. The Senegalese baccalaureate must be thoroughly reformed. The high failure rate in the baccalaureate is a Senegalese anomaly that must be corrected.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The evidence is clear. The curricula and skills produced by our higher education institutions are, for the most part, not aligned with the four axes of the National Transformation Agenda. Our institutions train few senior technicians, very few engineers, and few bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science and technology. This is a major handicap to overcome to achieve the goals of the National Transformation Agenda.
Our higher education institutions must move away from the colonial legacy’s Malthusian vision of training a limited number of essential skills needed by the country.
I am convinced that Senegal’s higher education system can transform in a few years to train thousands of engineers and tens of thousands of technicians, aligning the profile of its graduates with the country’s industrialization, food sovereignty, pharmaceutical sovereignty, and other priorities of the Senegal 2050 vision.
I am convinced that our tens of thousands of L1, L’1, and L2 baccalaureate holders are capable, with adapted curricula, appropriate pedagogy, and passionate teachers and research professors committed to their success, of becoming doctors, agronomists, computer scientists, pharmacists, data analysts, and more.
Our higher education system must break from conventional paths and its comfort zone, which merely reproduces the colonial legacy, to elevate and reinvent itself, providing our economy, society, and cultural space with the minds and skilled individuals committed to its transformation.
Our higher education institutions must focus on students’ professional futures throughout their training and establish the tools to help them achieve their professional ambitions.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our higher education system must embrace the ongoing digital revolution: training human resources in strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, data sciences, virtual reality, and more. It must leverage distance learning in all its forms to make knowledge and skills accessible to all citizens and exploit technological advancements for the benefit of the economy, society, culture, and security. Only at this price can we equip our youth with the true tools to build the ambitions of the Senegal 2050 vision and compete on equal footing with youth from all continents in this global village.
This ambition cannot succeed without robust and modern technological infrastructure. That is why the Government is committed, through the Technological New Deal, to significant investments in university connectivity, the deployment of online learning platforms, and facilitating access to computer equipment for students and teachers. These infrastructures are the essential foundation for supporting distance learning and scientific collaboration on a national and international scale.
This is a crucial step toward making Senegal a hub of innovation and academic excellence.
Our public and private higher education systems must strengthen their national integration through the tireless work of the National Authority for Quality Assurance (ANAQ-Sup) and their African integration through greater involvement of our institutions in all activities of the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES).
Senegal is an African hub for higher education. Our country welcomes students from brotherly nations every year. Our universities also host research professors from all continents. Therefore, the Ministry of Higher Education must establish a plan to align the African and global rankings of our universities with their international reputation.
In this world of knowledge, universities are key actors in earning respect and consideration for nations.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I extend my warm congratulations to Mr. Abdourahmane DIOUF, Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, for organizing this magnificent ceremony to launch the national consultations on the National Agenda for the Transformation of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation. I urge him to do everything possible to support these consultations.
I congratulate Professor Boubacar Diop, known as Buuba, for his well-deserved appointment as Coordinator of the Steering Committee for these consultations. It is a heavy responsibility. But I trust in his experience as an eminent academic, his union background, and above all, his passion for Africa, its history, and its culture. Nothing great is built without love and passion! I am confident that under his leadership, the Steering Committee will deliver productive conclusions on the National Agenda for the Transformation of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The time has come to rethink our higher education system, not merely as a space for knowledge transmission and production but as a strategic lever for sovereignty, innovation, and social transformation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The time has come to reform.
Reform for better regulation of higher education.
Reform for academic quality meeting international standards.
Reform to align higher education with the needs and expectations of the National Transformation Agenda.
I declare open the national consultations on the National Agenda for the Transformation of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation.
Long live Higher Education!
Long live Research!
Long live Senegal!