(HANS - Maputo) - "First of all, this was a very dynamic meeting, with the Salesian charism very strong and adapted to the context. Secondly, the value of the local context and, finally, the desire to improve as Higher Education Institutions - these are the three elements that give identity to each of these institutions."  This was the assessment offered by Bro. Mario Olmos, SDB, General Coordinator of the Salesian Institutions of Higher Education (IUS), the Don Bosco Higher Institutes (ISDB) in Mozambique and Angola and the Don Bosco Higher Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences in Togo.

The officers and members of the teaching and administrative areas of these three institutions met separately with Bro. Olmos, from 9 to 11 November in Maputo, Mozambique, as part of the First Conference of the IUS in Africa.

Under the direction of Bro. Olmos the delegates addressed issues related to the institutional design, the tools for leadership and management, the strategic plan and the operational plan, qualification systems and evaluation of courses and campus ministry, the IUS of Africa, as well as developing a joint work plan for the period 2016-2020, and formulating proposals for the General Assembly to be held in July 2016 and other proposals for the development of a long-term plan - the so-called "Fifth Joint Programme" - for the period 2017-2020.

Opening the conference, the Salesian Provincial of Mozambique, Fr Marco Biaggi, briefly traced the history of the IUS since its inception in 1997. "The university has been recognized as a priority for us since the 26th General Chapter. Until then, the Salesians were working up to secondary school." He then stressed that the new Framework of Reference for Salesian Youth Ministry recalls the importance of the IUS in offering society a cultural quality, competent professionals and active citizens.

The meeting then continued in various sessions, led by the heads of the three Higher Institutes of Mozambique, Togo and Angola, Fr José Angel Rajoy, Fr Dieudonné Otekpo, and Mr José Chivinda.

Bro. Olmos insisted on the quality of the Institutes: "We try to ensure the quality of our institutes, because quality is what others perceive from their learning experience and this is what makes the difference between educational institutions at a time of economic crisis like the present."

Published 18/11/2015