OREANDA-NEWS. December 22, 2015. Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Ashraf El-Shihy, has been elected, Chair of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Steering Committee (SC). He replaces the former Chairperson, Cameroon’s Minister of Education Alim Youssouf Hadidja.

The African Union's Specialized Technical Committee on Education, Science and Technology (STC-EST) replaces and combines the African Ministerial Committee meetings for Science & Technology (AMCOST) and the Conference of Ministers of Education of the African Union (COMEDAF).This significant shift stemmed from the African Union (AU) adoption of the  Summit Decision EX. CL/Dec.420 (XIII) to reconfigure all Ministerial Conferences into ”Specialized Technical Committees” with the objective of enhancing the methods of work, and improving sectorial relationships, synergies, effectiveness and efficiency. In this regard, Education, Science and Technology were merged under the Specialized Technical Committee on Education, Science and Technology (STC-EST).

The Assembly of the African Union, in its Tenth Ordinary Session held from 31st January to 2nd February 2008 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), decided to merger the COMEDAF Bureau with the Bureau of Ministers of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA).  By implication, the Chair and the Bureau of the STC assume the leadership of the governance structure of ADEA. To this end, the new STC-EST bureau was endorsed by the ADEA Steering Committee and to this end, Dr. Ashraf El-Shihy, Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, is now the new Chair of the ADEA Steering Committee (SC).

During the 42nd Session of the ADEA Steering Committee, held from December 3-5 2015 at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Headquarters, the new Chairperson of ADEA SC, Dr. Ashraf El-Shihy, welcomed all participants and expressed his deepest gratitude to all African countries for electing his country to chair the new STC-EST bureau for the upcoming 2 years as well as the ADEA SC. He promised to contribute to achieve concrete goals for all African countries.