To celebrate twenty-three years of advancing scholarly discourse, Adonis & Abbey Publishers is commemorating its anniversary with a major international webinar titled Africa in World University Rankings.
The free public event will bring together a distinguished panel of global experts to critically examine the influence and implications of global university league tables on higher education across Africa.
The webinar will be hosted by Professor Jideofor Adibe, Founder and Publisher of Adonis & Abbey Publishers Limited.
Since its inception in 2003, Adonis & Abbey has grown into an important platform for African scholarship and intellectual exchange.
This anniversary initiative continues the publisher’s long-standing tradition of fostering dialogue on issues central to academic and developmental progress on the continent.
Rather than focusing solely on celebration, the event underscores the publisher’s commitment to facilitating strategic and forward-looking conversations.
The webinar will be moderated by Professor Tony Nwafor of the Faculty of Law at the National University of Lesotho and will feature contributions from four renowned international scholars.
Professor Olusola Oyewole, Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities, will present a high-level perspective on the structural realities behind regional disparities in global rankings and assess the benefits and challenges for African institutions featured in these tables. From St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, Professor David Johnson will explore the concept of societal engagement and outreach, questioning how these critical dimensions of a university’s mission are captured or overlooked by prevailing ranking methodologies.
Providing a strategic policy perspective, Dr. Peter J. Wells of UNESCO’s Regional Office for Southern Africa in Harare will guide the discussion toward institutional self-definition. He is expected to advise universities on navigating the global academic landscape without losing their distinctive identity and purpose, emphasizing context-driven excellence rather than uniform benchmarks.
Adding a critical philosophical dimension, Professor Sioux MacKenna of Rhodes University will interrogate the foundational assumptions of ranking systems, addressing issues of epistemic justice and questioning whose knowledge is prioritized and how universal such standards truly are.
The webinar is set to confront a central tension in contemporary higher education: whether African universities should intensify efforts to meet existing global benchmarks or play a proactive role in shaping alternative metrics that better reflect their unique contributions, challenges, and societal responsibilities.
This theme closely aligns with the publishing ethos of Adonis & Abbey, which has consistently championed diverse perspectives and research grounded in African realities.
Attendance is free but advance registration is required. Interested participants are invited to register via Zoom at the following link:
(https://bit.ly/Africa_
By convening this important dialogue, Adonis & Abbey Publishers reaffirms its role as a catalyst for meaningful intellectual engagement within Africa’s academic community.
The event stands as a flagship anniversary initiative, reflecting the organization’s growth and its enduring commitment to enriching the continent’s intellectual landscape.
