While there are several other stakeholders in a university system, students are considered to be one of the key stakeholders. Therefore, to attain university good governance, the students' own governance through quality leadership must be of high standards. However, despite its critical importance, the students' leadership in African universities has not been analyzed enough by many scholars. The paper discusses the students' own governance using two cases studies. One of the case studies is on students' government democratization processes at the University of Dar es Salaam and the other is on a need of embedding students' leadership development programmes at the Mzumbe University.

One of the challenges facing the governance of universities across the world is how to appropriately manage the academic wing of human resources and attain excellence in the core result areas of the university missions. The role of the academics is varied with many competing demands in teaching, research and community service. Trying to meet increasing demands in these areas in universities has resulted in many academics working long hours and expressing dissatisfaction with their working life (Vardi, 2009).

From the 21^st to the 23^rd of November 2011 seventy civil society leaders from twenty-five African countries gathered in Johanesburg at a historic continental conference branded "Protecting Democracy - Reclaiming Civil Society Space in Africa". The mian objective of the conference was to share research findings and experiences regarding civil society space and to collectively generate effective responses to shrinking space for civil society in Africa.

The TrustAfrica-led initiative on improving agricultural policies in 6 selected countries entitled 'Building Effective Advocacy Movement for Agricultural Development in Africa' seeks to achieve its objectives and  goals through scoping studies, allocation of small grants to smallholder advocacy organisations and to provide technical assistance to smallholder farmers' organisations.

The Southern Africa Trust, Trust Africa, Institute for Global dialogue and Continental Advisory Research Team of civil society organisations launched two publications; (Dis) Enabling the Public Sphere: Civil Society Regulation in Africa (Volume 1) and the State of the Union South Africa Report. 92 participants attended the launch including government departments, foreign diplomats, civil society and the  private sector.

This report provides an overview of some of the key discussions, issues and actions that emerged from the September 27–28 dialogue on Trends, Themes, Challenges and  Opportunities for Higher Education Transformation in Africa. Organized by TrustAfrica and the University of Botswana, the two‐day meeting brought together actors from est, East and Southern Africa as well as the Diaspora  to discuss and develop a work plan for the second phase of TrustAfrica's African Higher Education Dialogues.

This report provides an overview of some of the key discussions, issues and actions that emerged from the September 27-28 dialogue on Trends, Themes, Challenges and Opportunities for Higher Education Transformation in Africa.

According to the UNAIDS epidemic update for 2009, some 22.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Of these, an estimated 1.9 million were newly infected in 2008. Young women remain one of the most vulnerable groups and are twice as likely to be infected as young men.

On March 29–30, 2010, TrustAfrica in collaboration with the Institute for Global Dialogue convened a methodology workshop to discuss project proposals from a select group of institutions on the theme of  economic governance in Africa. Participants were drawn from the 13 organizations that had been shortlisted by TrustAfrica to receive grants in the fiscal year ending March 2010.

On March 29–30, 2010, TrustAfrica in collaboration with the Institute for Global Dialogue convened a methodology workshop to discuss project proposals from a select group of institutions on the theme of economic governance in Africa. Participants were drawn from the 13 organizations that had been shortlisted by TrustAfrica to receive grants in the fiscal year ending March 2010. These organizations work on different aspects of economic governance, ranging from women’s economic empowerment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), economic justice, resource mobilization, climate change, natural resource management, trade, industrial development strategies, information and communication technologies (ICTs), debt, economic literacy, aid, tax justice, domestic resource mobilization, tax systems, extractive industries, trade policy, Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), and budget monitoring.

In an effort to cultivate co-funding opportunities with like-minded foundations and donors working on HIV/AIDS in Africa, TrustAfrica and the World AIDS Campaign (WAC) jointly hosted a convening in  Johannesburg, South Africa, from March 27–28, 2010. The event was attended by numerous actors who share an interest in consolidating African experiences and perspectives for global decision-making in the HIV/AIDS field. The convening helped lay the groundwork for series of official preparatory meetings planned in advance of the 18th International AIDS Conference, to be held in Vienna, Austria, on July 18–23, 2010.

In an effort to cultivate co-funding opportunities with like-minded foundations and donors working on HIV/AIDS in Africa, TrustAfrica and the World AIDS Campaign (WAC) jointly hosted a convening in Johannesburg, South Africa, from March 27–28, 2010. The event was attended by numerous actors who share an interest in consolidating African experiences and perspectives for global decision-making in the HIV/AIDS field. The convening helped lay the groundwork for series of official preparatory meetings planned in advance of the 18th International AIDS Conference, to be held in Vienna, Austria, on July 18–23, 2010.

This report summarizes the discussions at the inception convening for TrustAfrica's "Building an Advocacy Movement for Equitable and Sustainable Agriculture in Africa' project. The project, a component of  TrustAfrica's Equitable Development program, is being implemented in six countries: Ghana, Mali, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi. Participants at the convening, which was hosted by TrustAfrica,  included program staff from TrustAfrica and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as researchers who have been recruited to conduct scoping studies in each country.

This report summarizes the discussions at the inception convening for TrustAfrica’s “Building an Advocacy Movement for Equitable and Sustainable Agriculture in Africa' project. The project, a component of TrustAfrica’s Equitable Development program, is being implemented in six countries: Ghana, Mali, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi. Participants at the convening, which was hosted by TrustAfrica, included program staff from TrustAfrica and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as researchers who have been recruited to conduct scoping studies in each country.

On 31st October and 1st November 2009 a group of twenty three experts in international and transitional justice and human rights met in Nairobi, Kenya to review the agenda of the Preparatory Meeting of African State Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Rome Statute) Review Conference and prepare submissions which might assist with those deliberations. The meeting built on a previous consultation also held in Nairobi in June 2009 which prepared contributions to the previous meeting of African State parties on the Rome Statute of July 2009. The participants were invited and conducted the deliberations in their individual capacities. At the end of their reflections, the participating experts adopted the following conclusions, positions and recommendations for the consideration of the African States Parties to the ICC and the African Union.

African civil society organizations and experts met in Kampala, Uganda, from 19-20 October 2009 on the margins of the AU Special Summit on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced persons. Issues discussed included statelessness and nationality rights, which have been both a cause and consequence of forced displacement and discrimination in Africa. The session recognised that effective citizenship is a doorway to accessing other rights, including for refugees and the displaced. In this context, it was noted that the right to nationality needed to be promoted as a mechanism both to prevent and to respond to displacement on the continent.

The second convening of the Liberia Civil Society Initiative, held October 6–7 in Monrovia, gathered representatives from Humanity United, TrustAfrica and several grantee organizations. The first day was dedicated to discussions relating to the three programmatic areas: community empowerment, governance monitoring and the development of the independent media. The second day featured a training session on project outcome development and impact assessment, with program officers of grantee organizations in attendance. Both days served as learning opportunities for both donors and grantees. The NGOs’ perspectives on the thematic areas help us further our understanding of the political and social environment of the program. And as we share our views, partners are able to acquire skills they have not fully grasped before.

The workshop focused on two main items: the presentation of progress reports on projects supported by the research fund, and the possibility of setting up a network of Central African researchers to promote their professional interests and serve as a reliable partner in investment climate reform for investors, donors, and public‐sector decision makers.

The 2nd dialogue between civil society organizations and the Pan African Parliament (PAP) brought together civil society leaders from across Africa to engage with members of PAP on issues related to  state and citizens' relations. Under the theme, "African Integration, Transformation & Citizen Engagement," the focus of the meeting was African citizens' role in political and economic transformation on  the continent. In particular, the 'democratic deficit' in Africa was addressed as a major impediment to governance and integration. This dialogue was also a celebration of Africa Day - the 25th of May.

The 2nd dialogue between civil society organizations and the Pan African Parliament (PAP) brought together civil society leaders from across Africa to engage with members of PAP on issues related to state and citizens’ relations. Under the theme, "African Integration, Transformation & Citizen Engagement," the focus of the meeting was African citizens' role in political and economic transformation on the continent. In particular, the 'democratic deficit' in Africa was addressed as a major impediment to governance and integration. This dialogue was also a celebration of Africa Day - the 25th of May.