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Universities in Central African Republic

Universities in Central African Republic by City:

Bangui

About universities in Central African Republic

The Central African Republic (CAR) is a large landlocked country in Central Africa, covering more than 240,000 square miles of total land area.  The country has an estimated population of roughly 4.4 million, a large portion of which live in and around the country’s capital and largest city of Bangui, located in the Ubangi and Shari river basins and home to the country’s only university.
 
For most of its history, the region that is now known as the Central African Republic was a colony of the French.  However, the region claimed its independence in August of 1960.  For the three decades that followed the country’s independence from the French, the presidents who ruled the country were not freely elected and some even took power by force.  Naturally, this created much discontent within the country, discontent that affected every phase of the republic’s society, including its ability to provide higher education to its citizens.  Since the end of the Cold War, however, and due primarily to international pressure, the country has returned to a system of free elections, which in turn has created a more stable educational environment.
 
Higher Education in the Central African Republic
 
Prior to independence in Obangi-Chara—the area that would come to be known as the Central African Republic—secondary school graduates with a desire to move on to higher education would normally travel to France with the sponsorship of colonial leaders.  After independence, in 1960, the Central African Republic took part in the Foundation for Education in Central Africa (FESAC), a program that encompassed several former French colonies and created schools or institutes with a specific area of focus.  Within the FESAC, the Central African Republic had the institute dedicated to agriculture—an institute that remains today and has now branched out to serve students in various regions throughout the country.  Thousands of citizens in the Central African Republic have now acquired a valuable agricultural education with the help of the FESAC program.
 
There is only one university in the Central African Republic, a school located in the nation’s capital that was founded in 1969.  Each year the university serves nearly 4,000 students with approximately 140 faculty and staff.  The school year begins in October and ends in June, and is divided into two fairly equal semesters.  Students attending the university have access to eight primary units of study:  Four units are provided in various areas of professional training, areas which include health science and medicine, teacher training, rural and agricultural development and business management.  Three units are offered in a variety of academic fields, including mathematics; language and literature; natural, applied and social sciences; and history and geography, among others.  The final one unit is offered in research, including both theoretical and applied research.  The Minister of Education serves as the Chancellor of the university, but the Council of Administration officially governs the school and is responsible for its day-to-day operations, including the disbursement of funds and the formulation of educational policy.
 
In addition to the lone university in the Central African Republic there are also several specialized colleges in the country.  These focus on just a few, or in some cases, only one field of study, particularly the fields of agriculture—the country’s main economic sector—and the arts.