media releases - University of South Africa (UNISA) will launch a new regional Le

University of South Africa (UNISA) will launch a new regional Learning Centre in Ethiopia, a first of its kind outside the borders of South Africa.

The event will be held in the Unisa Centre in Akaki, Addis Ababa, on 28 January 2007. The Centre will be officially opened by His Excellency, Mr Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki, will deliver a keynote speech at the event.

The Learning Centre will serve as a registration point and offer academic support services such as career guidance, orientation skills development and tutorial classes.

The establishment of the Learning Centre was a culmination of the Memorandum of Agreement that was signed by UNISA and the Government of Ethiopia in August 2006 for the establishment of a learning centre in Addis Ababa.

As part of the agreement, Unisa will also offer in-service training for the Ethiopian government officials, civil servants, staff of international organisations and non-governmental organisations. The focus of Unisa’s programmes will mainly be on postgraduate qualifications.

The Centre will eventually be the hub for all of Unisa’s programmes in the Horn of Africa and in the Eastern Africa regions.

According to UNISA Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barney Pityana, the establishment of the Learning Centre in Ethiopia was part of the University’s vision of becoming Africa’s premier education provider that serves the continent by responding to the needs of the communities.

Unisa is currently involved in a major project of capacity building for the government of Southern Sudan. The Centre might be used for future training for the Southern Sudan which is the neighbouring state of Ethiopia.

With a population of 77 million people, Ethiopia is the second most populated sub-saharan African country and is the political headquarters of Africa as it hosts head offices of the African Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.