During the inauguration of the Maison du Saes, Mesri announced consultations with a view to defining the University of Senegal for the next 25 years. By Cheikh CAMARA –
The inauguration of the headquarters of the Thiès section of the Autonomous Union of Higher Education Teachers (Saes) by Dr Abdourahmane Diouf, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, in accordance with the directives of the 2016 Congress which had adopted the option of this building in each social campus in the country, was an opportunity, for those in the teaching world, to announce major consultations to define the University of Senegal for the next 25 years.
It is a building erected on 800 m2 with a R+3 foundation, costing more than 100 million CFA francs, which was constructed with its own funds, with the support of the Ministry of Higher Education. Most of the funds thus come from teachers’ contributions deducted from salaries. An opportunity for Dr Abdourahmane Diouf to return to “the importance, for everyone, of contributing to the establishment of a climate of peace and serenity, because Senegal has just come out of presidential and legislative elections”.
According to the minister, “the time for work has now come and it is urgent to be in time for action”. He recalls that “in these moments and as always, Saes is a major partner of higher education which cannot be done without this union”. This, he says, means that “we are condemned to be together, to be in partnership, to work together. It is all the more important as the sector is moving towards major consultations on the Senegalese university, which will define it for the next 25 years.
Inauguration of the Maison du Saes
Also to indicate: “We need all the expertise of Saes to avoid the mistakes of the past and to be in perspective so that our university is the best possible. The crisis would have been more acute, even harsher, if it were not for the understanding of actors like Saes. The trade unionists have put demands on the table, but they have agreed not to insist on a certain number of points not because they are not important to them, but because they know that we are in a period of adjustment. And the upcoming consultations will make it possible to find global solutions together, to build the Senegalese university together.”
Dr Diouf finds that the Ministry of Higher Education and Saes, the majority union, must work in partnership to take charge of the common destiny which is the well-being of higher education. And to emphasize: “We form the family of higher education and if we join hands, we can achieve exceptional results.” This, he said, also proves that “the Saes is not only in a protest dimension, even if it is completely normal for a union to raise grievances”.
For the minister, “the Saes teachers are showing another facet of their skills, their ingenuity through the financial engineering used to be able to carry out this project of the Maison du Saes whose premises meet international standards”. The Secretary General of Saes, David Célestin Faye, recalled: “We are a union of peace, dialogue, anticipation and proposals. We are open to dialogue and expect declarations to be followed up.”
Also to hope that “there is no struggle, that all problems are resolved upstream”. The Saes also warned about “various problems”, in particular “the decree relating to the reversion of pensions to beneficiaries”.
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