The 43rd ordinary session of the Council of Ministers of the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES), held in Libreville from June 15 to 19, 2026, concluded with a major decision: Gabon, through its Minister of Higher Education, Professor Charles Edgard Mombo, assumed the rotating presidency of the institution for one year. This strategic responsibility places the country at the heart of efforts to modernize, achieve excellence, and enhance the influence of African higher education.

At the close of the proceedings, which featured the adoption of several recommendations and resolutions, the Gabonese government official reaffirmed his country’s determination to turn this mandate into a period of concrete actions and measurable results for the benefit of universities, faculty researchers, scholars, and students within the CAMES area.

“This year of Gabon’s presidency will be a year of rigorous follow-up on the Council of Ministers’ decisions so that every adopted resolution translates into tangible outcomes,” Mr. Mombo stated while presenting the main guidelines of his term.

Gabon specifically intends to ensure diligent implementation of adopted recommendations, promote strengthened quality assurance and academic excellence in higher education institutions, support initiatives to increase the international visibility and attractiveness of scientific research produced in member states, and encourage the digital transformation of higher education and research.

This vision, he emphasized, builds on the work accomplished by the CAMES General Secretariat led by Professor Souleymane Konaté. The 43rd ordinary session of the CAMES Council of Ministers thus endorsed the proposals of experts who met earlier from June 15 to 16 in Libreville. Notably, it adopted an ambitious revitalization strategy aimed at strengthening the position of the CAMES space on the global scientific stage. Despite its considerable potential, CAMES currently accounts for only about 2% of global scientific output.

To reverse this trend, several innovative avenues were selected, including the creation of a virtual CAMES academy. Presented as a genuine center for scientific and academic services, this digital platform will support states and higher education and research institutions in their efforts to improve university performance, foster knowledge sharing, and strengthen researcher capacities.

The program championed by Gabon also emphasizes strengthening solidarity among member states, developing academic mobility, intensifying scientific cooperation, and promoting innovation, university entrepreneurship, and graduate employability.

Guinea’s Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Dr. Diaka Sidibé, the outgoing president of the CAMES Council of Ministers, whose governance during her term was highly appreciated by peers, praised the commitment of member states to the institution’s transformation and expressed confidence in Gabon’s ability to continue the reforms underway.

The Libreville session also featured a strong tribute to the President of the Gabonese Republic, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, whose unwavering support for higher education, scientific research, and African academic integration was unanimously praised by participants.

With this presidency, Gabon takes on a strategic mission: to make CAMES an ever more effective, innovative, and competitive space capable of meeting contemporary challenges in training, research, and development. This ambition could herald a new era for African higher education and further boost its influence on the international scientific scene.

The supreme governing body of CAMES decided that the 44th ordinary session of the Council of Ministers will be held in 2027 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.