Ivorian Universities Re-opened After 18 Months

President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire on Monday in Abidjan re-opened public universities after 18 months of closure due to the spill over of the Ivorian political crisis.

Voilence flowed into the various universities in the country, especially the Houphouet Boigny University in Cocody and the University of Abobo, at the height of the country’s political crisis in 2010 and 2011.

Ouattara said it took the government more than a year and about 110 billion CFA (about 220 million n U S dollars) to rehabilitate the universities in the country, which were all plundered during the crisis.

At the re-opening ceremony held at the Houphouet Boigny University in Cocody , Ouattara said: “We have worked hard to create an enabling learning environment for the students and a good working environment for the lecturers who are all returning.

“I have given instructions already for the improvement of the working conditions of the lecturers based on their requests. The lecturers have a major role to play in the re-orientation of the society.’’

The president said the university would be focused on capacity building for the development of the country through transformative, selective and principle based learning.

The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Cisse Bacongo, said all the departments of the universities had been upgraded to meet modern standards, while laboratories and theatres had been fully equipped.

One of the returning students, Gale Didier, said he took up menial jobs during the 18 months of closure to stay busy.

“What we are seeing today gives us great joy that the president has us in his heart. We are overjoyed to return to school and more than happy to return into an improved environment,’’ Didier who reads Computer Science said.

Another student, Suzanne Lognon, who is studying Psychology, said the the re-opening was preceded by sensitization on the students on “evils of violence’’.

Lognon said: “We have learnt a lot on the dangers and implications of violence. We just hope that the student union would stay out of national politics.’’

Soldiers, police  and the gendermarie provided security at the ceremony, with many hanging on roof tops with sniper rifles.