The Seventh Africa Higher Education and RUFORUM Triennial Conference is set under the theme “Operationalising Higher Education for Innovation, Industrialisation, Inclusion and Sustainable Economic Development in Africa: A call for action” that responds to the urgent needs for the African governments, development partners, private sector and citizenry to take actions to invest in higher education. This Triennial conference is convened with the following objectives:

1. Catalyse investment in Higher Education for human capital development in Africa
2. Promote international linkages and partnerships for excellence in Higher Education
3. Strengthen collaboration and mutual learning to spur innovation and industrialisation for economic transformation in Africa
4. Promote youth employment and skills acquisition for development
5. Strengthen University-Private sector business linkages

The First RUFORUM Triennial Conference, the 16^th Annual General Meeting and 7^th African Higher Education Week will be held in the Republic of Benin at Centre International de Conférences et Palais des Congres de Cotonou, Benin from 6th-10th December 2021. The five-day conference will bring together policy makers including Ministers and Technical Experts, Higher Education Leaders in Africa, development partners, private sector leaders, researchers, innovators, students, and farmer organisations, among others. Approximately 1000 delegates are expected from across the world.