Agence universitaire de la francophonie
Encyclopedia
The Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), French
for the "Association of Universities of the Francophonie", is a global network of French-speaking higher education and research institutions.
Originally founded in Montreal
in 1961, as the Association des universités partiellement ou entièrement de langue française (AUPELF), the AUF is a multilateral institution which supports the co-operation and solidarity between the university institutions working in French. It concerns the French-speaking countries of Africa
, of the Arab world
, of Southeast Asia
, of Central
and Eastern Europe
and of the Caribbean
.
It has 774 members (public and private universities, institutes of higher education
, centers or research institutions, institutional networks and networks of administrators associated with university life) distributed in the countries of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.
The AUF is present in 91 countries, through its regional offices, its centers of access to information, its campuses numerical or its institutes of formation. It receives funding from La Francophonie
. Its headquarters are located in Montreal
, Canada
, on the campus of the University of Montreal.
It is in 2005 that the AUF endows a programming planned over four years, to answer the goals and priorities registered into the decennial strategic agreement of the institutional French-speaking world. This agreement, adopted in 2004 by the member States of the French-speaking world, sets the main principles and strategies of the insitutional French-speaking world and also controls its activities.
Having operational establishments in the whole world, and having the power through its network to mobilize several hundreds of research and higher education establishments, the Agence universitaire de la francophonie is often requisitioned for:
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for the "Association of Universities of the Francophonie", is a global network of French-speaking higher education and research institutions.
Originally founded in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1961, as the Association des universités partiellement ou entièrement de langue française (AUPELF), the AUF is a multilateral institution which supports the co-operation and solidarity between the university institutions working in French. It concerns the French-speaking countries of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, of the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
, of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, of Central
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
It has 774 members (public and private universities, institutes of higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
, centers or research institutions, institutional networks and networks of administrators associated with university life) distributed in the countries of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.
The AUF is present in 91 countries, through its regional offices, its centers of access to information, its campuses numerical or its institutes of formation. It receives funding from La Francophonie
La Francophonie
Francophonie is an international organization of politics and governments with French as the mother or customary language, where a significant proportion of people are francophones , or where there is a notable affiliation with the French language or culture.Formally known as the Organisation...
. Its headquarters are located in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, on the campus of the University of Montreal.
History
- Origins: in 1959, Jean-Marc Léger, Canadian journalist at Le Devoir and André Bachand, public relations director of the University of Montreal voice the idea of a world-wide organisation that would create a link between French-speaking universities.
- The Beginning: on September 13, 1961, in Montreal, some 150 representative of the French-speaking world unite themselves to create the foundation of what will become l'Association des universités partiellement ou entièrement de langue française (AUPELF), French for "Association of partially or entirely French-speaking universities."
- Expansion Era: in 1987, during the heads of state's Summit in Quebec, an "exchange university" project is put forward under the name of UREF (Université des Réseaux d'Expression Français, French for "University of the French Expression Networks"). Its purpose is to create a whole of university networks about research and education. In November 1993, the AUPELF becomes the AUPELF-UREF. It is in April 1998, in Beyrouth, that the AUPELF-UREF finally becomes the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF).
- Reforms: in order to answer Moncton action plan's request, the AUF engages reforms in three fields in 1999:
- the modification of its status,
- the administrative organisation,
- and the reform of its programmes.
It is in 2005 that the AUF endows a programming planned over four years, to answer the goals and priorities registered into the decennial strategic agreement of the institutional French-speaking world. This agreement, adopted in 2004 by the member States of the French-speaking world, sets the main principles and strategies of the insitutional French-speaking world and also controls its activities.
The Authorities
- Seven apparatus form the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie:
- The general assembly: it is the main organ of the AUF. Every four years, the 774 members of the network of French-speaking higher education and research institutions gather and decide the future goals and strategies for the four next years. The general assembly also controls the actions of the board of directors as well as his members behaviour.
- The associative council: its purpose is not only to intensify the solidarity between higher education and research institutions of the Agency, but also to submit them the objectives pursued.
- The board of directors: it is formed by university representatives and by States and government representatives. It is the management organ.
- The scientific council: it decides on the evaluation methodology of the AUF programs and guarantees their academic quality. For this purpose, its members are chosen for their technical and profesional skills in the field of culture, science and technology.
- The president: he is elected by the general assembly and is at the head of the associative council as well as the board of directors. The term of office is four years and is nonrenewable.
- The rector: His mandate lasts four years like the president's. But the rector is elected by the board of directors, not by the general assembly. His main function is to make concrete the commitments of the higher education and research institutions.
- The development and co-operation university Fund: it is the UAF's rector who is in charge of this fund, which aim is to provide the solidarity and co-operation actions financing.
Fields of Action
- The main fields of action of the AUF are distributed between four scientific administrations, each of them aiming at a specific goal. These four branches are:
- Language and communication Management: this section supports the development of the French language through its tuition and its instruction in the scientific disciplines. Another goal is to promote multilingualism and cultural diversity by stimulating the production, the diffusion and the teaching of scientific knowledge in French. In addition, the Department of language and communication has a coordinating role in research projects, training and curricular reform in the linguistic, cultural, literary or education field. Moreover, it monitors meetings or scientific conferences, and highlights the issue of edition and more particularly online publication. Finally, it takes part in the improvement of the knowledge of the French-speaking world and the understanding of the impact of cultural and linguistic multiplicity on blossoming of societies and populations. With more than 2250 specialists, this direction is the largest one.
- The economic development Management: this division is in charge of the fund collection campaign. It also strengthens the partnership relations of the Agency and manages also its fame and image. On this purpose, it has to enhance the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie's achievements, actions and beneficiaries of these actions.
- The scientific skills reinforcement Management: it must arrange the scientific policies linked to the scientific departments and the regional offices. It also has to support those scientific policies by creating and administrating devices such as French-speaking digital campuses or institutes. In addition, it aims to organize the management to optimize the research actions in the spirit of the four-year programming. The scientific skills reinforcement Management has also been given the responsibility to improve the evaluation of the Agency and the French-speaking scientific community in the sets of themes which are allocated to it. These sets of themes are the following ones: constitutional state, democracy, company, environment, water, energy, climate, sustainable development and well-being of populations. By the assistance on research and popularization, as well as the support on formation, including that of trainers, it supports the projects of the adherent universities regarding these various fundamental subjects.
- The knowledge economy and teaching innovation Management: it is given the responsibility to support the use of communication and information technologies in higher education and in the research field. Through that, it grants a support for the establishments members to allow them, by means of a strategy, a better digital development, which is vector of knowledge. To sensitize with digital, this Department offers a training to master the TICE (Technologies of Information and Communication for education) in favor of the educative community (teachers, students and staff). The constant progress of these digital tools, put at the disposal of academic cicrcles, makes it possible to contribute to higher education's improvement.
AUF's Policy of Partnership
- The Agence universitaire de la Francophonie decided to develop partnerships. For this reason it defined three specific objectives:
- To establish more universities in the South and giving them a significant role for the development.
- To develop association between the AUF, its member institutions and all the actors of development (States, foundations, ONGOng-Economics:*ONG, abbreviation for Organisation Non-Gouvernementale, Organizzazione non-governativa, Organización No Gubernamental or Organização não Governamental, respectively French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese for Non-governmental organization...
, companies and private sector, territorial collectivities, etc.). - To increase its action as regards development while basing itself on the following axes:
-
-
-
- put the organization and Agency's knowledge at the profit of the projects serving the development and set up by international organizations, States, companies,…
- promote the scientific evaluation of the South,
- and use resourceful tools as regards university and scientific co-operation, and to measure and study the results of those devices.
- The field of influence unceasingly growing and the notoriety increasingly larger of the AUF, in fields such as higher education and research, enable him to implement ambitious and recognized programs. The quality and importance of the partners who support the AUF, in which, more particularly, the States, the regional and international organizations (European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, the World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
,...) and even the partners belonging to the economic sphere, have built the Agency's fame.
- The field of influence unceasingly growing and the notoriety increasingly larger of the AUF, in fields such as higher education and research, enable him to implement ambitious and recognized programs. The quality and importance of the partners who support the AUF, in which, more particularly, the States, the regional and international organizations (European Union
-
-
Having operational establishments in the whole world, and having the power through its network to mobilize several hundreds of research and higher education establishments, the Agence universitaire de la francophonie is often requisitioned for:
- co-operation projects management,
- the realization of technical examinations and of evaluations,
- the production of services regarding technologies of information and communication,
- and to put in networks actors of the development from all the horizons.
Support to Electronic Scientific Journal Creation
- The Agence universitaire de la Francophonie set up in 2001 a helping device to create French-speaking electronic science journals. This device allows to use logistic material as well as methodological tools. French-speaking digital campuses were created to support the development of the TIC (technologies of information and communication) in the universities of the south. They are governed by the language scientific communication's Department. They also propose workshops of formation to the presentation of scientific articles and to the publication of those. And finally, a financial support is planned for the reviews selected within the scope of special projects.
The AUF Worldwide
- The AUF's education office and headquarters are in Montreal. Another education office as well as central services have been created in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. And finally, regional offices have been established in MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Port-au-PrincePort-au-PrincePort-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, DakarDakarDakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, YaoundéYaoundé-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
, AntananarivoAntananarivoAntananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
, HanoïHanoiHanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and BucharestBucharestBucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
.
1961-2011: 50 Years of Unstinting Devotion
- 2011 marks an important date, since it corresponds to the 50th birthday of the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie. In one half-century, the association took a world scale importance. To mark the occasion, the AUF decided to promote the Francophonie throughout the year 2011 by means of special events devoted to the 50 years of the Agency and celebrating its role and its advance as a federator of the French-speaking scientific community and academic agent. These festivities will put the emphasis on all that the AUF achieved for higher education and research during these five decades.
Researchers Network
- French language studies
- LexicologyLexicologyLexicology is the part of linguistics which studies words, their nature and meaning, words' elements, relations between words , word groups and the whole lexicon....
, terminologyTerminologyTerminology is the study of terms and their use. Terms are words and compound words that in specific contexts are given specific meanings, meanings that may deviate from the meaning the same words have in other contexts and in everyday language. The discipline Terminology studies among other...
, translationTranslationTranslation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of... - SociolinguisticsSociolinguisticsSociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used, and the effects of language use on society...
and language dynamics - Teledetection
- ErosionErosionErosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
and management of waters - Economic and development analysis
- DemographyDemographyDemography is the statistical study of human population. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic human population, that is, one that changes over time or space...
- EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
- BiotechnologyBiotechnologyBiotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
- Agrifood engineering
- Vector parasitic studies
- Fundamental laws
- Health sciences
Institutional Networks
- Veterinary medicineVeterinary medicineVeterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
(AEEVTPLF) - ManagementManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
(CIDEGEF) - MedicineMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
(CIDMEF) - PharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
(CIDPHARMEF) - LawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
(CIFDUF) - Agricultural and food sciences (CIDEFA)
- EngineeringEngineeringEngineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
(CITEF) - JournalismJournalismJournalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
(Théophraste) - DentistryDentistryDentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
(CIDCDF) - Social sciences and humanities (AFELSH)
- Information sciences (AIESI)
- Science and techniques (CIRUISEF)
- UrbanizationUrbanizationUrbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
(APERAU) - Training of trainers (RIFEFF)
External links
See also
- Institut de la Francophonie pour l'Informatique - one of its institutions.
- Association internationale des maires francophones
- Association internationale des parlementaires francophones
- TV5MONDETV5MONDETV5MONDE is a global television network, broadcasting several channels of French language programming. It is an approved participant member of the European Broadcasting Union.-History:...
- Université Senghor (AlexandriaAlexandriaAlexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
) - Association of Commonwealth UniversitiesAssociation of Commonwealth UniversitiesThe Association of Commonwealth Universities represents over 480 universities from Commonwealth countries.- History :In 1912, the University of London took the initiative to assemble 53 representatives of universities in London to hold a Congress of Universities of the Empire...
- EAIE
- EURODOCEurodocEurodoc is the European federation of national organisations of young researchers. Young researchers are the ones currently undertaking their doctorate or PhD holders in their first years of their post-doctoral research career .As a non-profit organisation,...
- Association of African UniversitiesAssociation of African UniversitiesThe Association of African Universities was established in 1967 to facilitate co-operation between its members and with the international academic community. It is based in Accra, Ghana...
- Association of Pacific Rim UniversitiesAssociation of Pacific Rim UniversitiesThe Association of Pacific Rim Universities , formed in 1997, is a consortium of leading research universities in the Pacific Rim. APRU aims to foster education, research and enterprise thereby contributing to the economic, scientific and cultural advancement in the Pacific Rim...
- Association of Commonwealth UniversitiesAssociation of Commonwealth UniversitiesThe Association of Commonwealth Universities represents over 480 universities from Commonwealth countries.- History :In 1912, the University of London took the initiative to assemble 53 representatives of universities in London to hold a Congress of Universities of the Empire...
- European University AssociationEuropean University AssociationThe European University Association represents and supports more than 850 institutions of higher education in 46 countries, providing them with a forum for cooperation and exchange of information on higher education and research policies...