DATAD WORKSHOP In collaboration With Kenyatta University Nairobi 11 – 12 July 2007 The Database of African Theses and Dissertations (DATAD) Pascal Hoba (DR) Head of Communication and Services Association of African Universities And DATAD Program Coordinator

About The Association of African Universities (AAU) Founded: 1967 with 34 founding universities Current membership:2OO institutions from 47 African countries

AAU Objectives Promote cooperation and coordination among African HEIs by providing resources and running programs that build on the synergy of collective action by its members Collection, organization and dissemination of information on higher education and research in Africa Advocacy and support for member institutions’ programs Quality assurance and harmonization of diploma…

AAU’s programs and activities Developing Quality Assurance Systems in African Universities African Universities Responding to HIV/AIDS Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP) Research Education Networking Initiative (RENU) Leadership Development Staff Exchange Study Program on Higher Education Management in Africa Working Group on Higher Education Publication and Information Dissemination Roster of African Professionals (ROAP) AAU and AU Partnership Database of African Theses and Dissertations (DATAD) has been integrated into the AAU strategic plan: Improving management and access to African scholarly work.

About The DATAD Project Initiated at a planning meeting organized in Nairobi, Jan The meeting acknowledged the centrality of AAU in coordinating and providing leadership to the proposed initiative

About the DATAD Project cont… Feasibility Study done 1998/99; Report approved by AAU COREVIP in 1999 Three-year pilot phase, involving eleven institutions, started in February 2000, concluded 2003

DATAD Objectives Contribute to the creation of an environment conducive to research and publication in Africa Create capacity in African universities for the collection, management and dissemination of theses and dissertations electronically

DATAD Objectives cont… Provide visibility and improved access to the work of African scholars, both within and outside of the continent; Facilitate the development of copyright procedures and regulations for the protection of the intellectual property rights of African university graduates and researchers Provide support for other AAU programs

Implementation Considerations for selection of pioneers regional and linguistic balance basic ICT infrastructure leadership commitment graduate program

Implementation cont… Factors for determination of model Feasibility study findings general ICT infrastructure environment working models Adopted: Mixed model ( Centralized, decentralized)

Implementation cont… Management and administration Advisory Committee DATAD management teams at institutional level Graduate School, Computing Center, Library, Graduate Students, Faculty Regional coordination at AAU Secretariat

Record content Factors: development of a research resource to facilitate dissemination of research findings networking of researchers: students, lecturers, others bibliometric studies

Record fields Author, Title, Degree, Year, Supervisor(s) University (faculty/dept, town, country) Availability statement, Location (of e- copy if available), Call number, Copyright Abstract, Keywords

Lessons learned Financial and technical support is essential The need of DATAD model Quality control: necessary Full text access: critical Preservation and archiving: need more attention Sustainability is possible but need to be properly done Taking account of the situation of the universities

Challenges Management of copyright and intellectual property: Higher level of advocacy Development of a viable sustainability with strong partners Expansion model, Preservation, Full text access, Link to others Thesis Network, ETDs…

Actual Challenges cont… New institutions and pioneers Software (for full text) Dissemination (with ACBF input) To learn from each other through Workshops and Meetings

Curent situations of Thesis in African Universities… Thesis in only in hard copies Thesis in sotf copies Thesis on servers Thesis online

DATAD Pratical approach? Which Platform? Abstract Full text when available Linking with others Networks of Thesis

Conclusion? DATAD - ETD initiatives and national repositories Non DATAD institutions can contribute meta-data to the DATAD database Integrate DATAD activities into AAU (as institution) plan and budget Exposing the research output of African HEIs to the wider research community …

Thank you……… Thank you.