Africa University

Private United Methodist related institution

Africa University is a "private, Pan African and United Methodist related institution." It has over 1,200 students from 36 African countries. It is located 17 km northwest of Mutare, Zimbabwe in Penhalonga. It grants bachelor's, master's and PhD degrees in various programs.

Funding for Africa University is a two part $20 million effort every four years. Ten million is apportioned to the 34,000+ United Methodist churches. The apportioned dollars provide for the day to day operating expenses of the university. The second ten million is raised through World Service Special Gifts for a permanent endowment. The interest and earnings on the permanent endowment provide scholarships and other financial aid for students as well as meet new and emerging programmatic needs of the university. The Africa University Development Office located in Nashville, Tennessee, has the primary responsibility to raise funds for the permanent endowment as well as for capital projects. James H. Salley is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement and has supervisory responsibility for the Nashville office.

A 30 member board of directors chaired by Bishop Marcus Matthews governs Africa University. A founding member of Africa University's Faculty of Theology was elected the university's third chancellor on 8 December 2008. Professor Fanuel Tagwira, another founding member of the university's Faculty of Agriculture, was elected the university's third vice chancellor in March 2009. As of 1 July 2014, Prof Munashe Furusa was unanimously elected as the new vice chancellor. Africa University is the first private, fully accredited, degree granting United Methodist related institution of higher learning on the continent of Africa as established and approved by General Conference. The university is Pan African in design and spirit. Thirty six nations of Africa were represented in the student population for the 2015/2016 academic year. The majority of faculty and administrative staff are Africans. Professors and policy makers comprise permanent and visiting educators from the United States, Europe, and around the world. The official language at the university is English, which is also the official language of Zimbabwe. There are thirty two buildings on the campus with four currently under construction. The 32 buildings include 12 dormitories, 12 senior staff housing units, a chapel, and a state of the art library complex. The four buildings under construction include a student clinic, two housing duplexes for senior staff, and the building for the Institute of Peace, Leadership, and Governance (IPLG). Recently the Kent M. Weeks Archives was opened to collect all university and United Methodist Church records which are deemed to be of historic and research value.

There are currently 3 colleges at Africa University, namely the College of Health, Agriculture and Natural Sciences; the College of Business, Peace, Leadership and Governance; and the College of Social Sciences, Theology, Humanities and Education. Plus the School of Law. There is also the Africa University Information Technology Training Center.