A-A Dialogue About Us

The Africa-Asia University Dialogue for Educational Development (A-A Dialogue) Network was established to promote joint international research among universities in Africa and Asia to contribute to educational development in developing countries.

PhaseⅣ(2015-2018)

Phase IV started in July 2015. The Network is being used more actively. Research and international cooperation projects
on larger scales than those of Phase III have been adopted. The number of participating countries has also increased.
The Network has grown remarkably as researchers of the participating universities have won various research grants.
Hiroshima University has received a MEXT ODA Grant for UNESCO Activities, and a Grant for Global Sustainability from the
United nations University.
Universiti Sains Malaysia launched research projects on teachers’ professionalism. Building on Phase III, which a
pursued comprehensive research on educational development, Phase IV undertook development of a collaborative model among
universities in Africa and Asia. In this way, research and exchanges among researchers and students of member
universities are being actively conducted within the Network.

PhaseⅢ(2012-2014)

In Phase III, the A-A Dialogue Network expanded to 16 universities in 12 African countries and 14 universities in eight
Asian countries including Japan. In this phase, various research projects started utilizing the Network. One example is
“A Study on School Improvement Practices at Lower Secondary Education in Developing Countries” by Kazuhiro Yoshida and
others with Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research B from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. In this
research, Kenyatta University (Kenya), Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), the University of Cape Coast (Ghana), Kyambogo
University (Uganda), Makerere University (Uganda), Vietnam National University, Hanoi (Vietnam), Indonesia University of
Education (Indonesia), and Hiroshima University participated and conducted research on school improvement practices in
each country in close cooperation with the participants. The results of the research will be used to develop a system to
improve learning in developing countries. Many other projects were also implemented, and exchanges among teaching staff
became more active. Student exchanges also continued from Phase II.

PhaseⅡ(2009-2011)

Phase II of the project was implemented from 2009 to 2011 with support from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology (MEXT) to create a network among universities. As a result, the A-A Dialogue Network was
established based on the official agreement to the Statutes (in English) drawn up by the universities participating in
Phase I. At the Network’s second general assembly held in June 2010, Toshimasa Asahara, president of Hiroshima
University, awarded a membership certificate to the representatives of each member university.

In May 2010, the project joined UNESCO’s University Twinning and Networking (UNITWIN) Programme. In Phase II, exchanges
of　researchers among participating universities were promoted. At “Experience Sharing Seminars” researchers from the
participating universities as well as teachers and students from the host countries and from Japan and other experts
exchanged their opinions. Student exchanges also began. These included international student exchange forums between
Hiroshima University and Universiti Sains Malaysia (Malaysia) and between Hiroshima University and Kenyatta University
(Kenya). Delegations consisting of more than 10 students visited these universities to discuss various issues and
conduct joint fieldwork.

PhaseⅠ（2004-2007）

The A-A Dialogue project was initially implemented from 2004 to 2007 (Phase I) in cooperation with the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations University (UNU) and the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The Hiroshima University’s Center for the Study of International Cooperation in
Education (CICE) functioned as the secretariat. The project conducted research to contribute to policy-making for
sustainable basic education as well as seminars to share experiences and strengthen expertise among participants.