The full two-day programme.

31 August – 1 September 2026 Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel, Cape Town

Co-hosted by AppliedHE and the University of Cape Town
Facilitated by Sunway University and the University of Cape Town

A defining two-day continental conversation bringing together university leaders, policymakers and higher education changemakers to reimagine what university excellence means for Africa. Through dialogue, evidence and co-creation, participants will identify what matters most, challenge what existing rankings fail to recognise, and shape the All-Africa Principles for University Excellence, laying the foundation for the metrics and methodology that will underpin the All-Africa University Rankings.

The aim

To capture, from African higher education leaders themselves, what excellence means in their context, what current rankings fail to see, and what can realistically be measured — so that AppliedHE can build a ranking methodology that is fair, equitable, and recognises African excellence on African terms.

What we are doing

Capturing what excellence means, university by university and region by region
Recording where current rankings succeed and where they are blind
Establishing what can be measured now, what needs data development, and what cannot yet be measured at all
Producing a written record that goes directly into methodology design

What we are explicitly not doing

Not ranking or comparing the universities in the room
Not finalising a methodology, indicators or weightings
Not producing a declaration or a political statement
Not asking anyone to defend, justify or debate their position

Understanding the landscape Defining excellence Measuring what matters

Day One

Monday, 31 August 2026

Part One Understanding the landscape: Why rankings matter and the gaps

Day One programme, Monday, 31 August 2026
Time	Programme
08:00–09:00	Registration and welcome
09:00–09:15	Opening cultural performance
09:15–09:30	Welcome remarks
09:30–09:45	Introductory remarks “Before we rank, we listen”
09:45–10:00	Opening Conversation Catalyst The future of African higher education and the reimagining of university excellence for the continent
10:00–10:10	Conversation Catalyst A global perspective on transforming higher education
10:10–10:40	AppliedHE Xchange with an “X” (Group Photo) Refreshments and comfort break
10:40–10:55	Setting the scene for the workshop process The purpose, ambition and flow of the co-creation workshop
10:55–11:10	Why rankings matter, and what they miss
11:10–11:40	Major university ranking methodologies at a glance Including Q&A with delegates
11:40–13:00	Co-creation Activity The Gap Wall Surfacing what current approaches capture, overlook or distort Lead facilitators
13:00–14:00	Lunch
14:00–14:30	Institutional Perspective UCT and the rankings landscape
14:30–15:00	Institutional Perspective Sunway University Harmonising mission with benchmarked excellence
15:00–15:30	Institutional Perspectives Q&A Chair
15:30–15:50	Refreshment and comfort break
15:50–16:15	AppliedHE: Beyond Rankings Solutions, tools and partnerships that move universities forward.
16:15–16:33	Day One synthesis What we have heard and where we go next Lead facilitators
16:33–16:45	Close of Day One
19:00	Gala dinner Director of ceremonies 19:00–19:10 Guests enter the ballroom — Welcome drinks on arrival with band 19:10–19:20 Welcome address 19:20–19:30 Band performance 19:30–19:50 Starters and live entertainment 19:50–20:10 Keynote address 20:10–20:30 Dinner and live entertainment 20:30–20:40 Toast and thanks 20:40–21:00 Dessert and live entertainment 22:00 End of gala dinner

Day Two

Tuesday, 1 September 2026

Part Two Rethinking excellence for African universities

What does university excellence mean for Africa, and what are its markers?

Part Three Measuring what matters and the All-Africa Principles for University Excellence

How do we measure what matters, and how should those measures inform the All-Africa Rankings?

Day Two programme, Tuesday, 1 September 2026
Time	Programme
09:00–09:10	Arrival coffee, welcome and reflections from Day One Chair
09:10–09:25	Day One playback What the conversation revealed Lead facilitators
09:25–09:45	Conversation Catalyst Defining excellence for African higher education Rethinking quality, measuring impact, and building the All-Africa Rankings Initiative
09:45–12:30	Co-creation Activity The Excellence Wall Reimagining what university excellence means in Africa “If rankings did not exist, how would we know an African university was excellent?” What matters most? Prioritising the dimensions and markers of African university excellence using continental significance, university significance and universality. Includes a refreshment and comfort break. Lead facilitators
12:30–14:00	Lunch
Part Three · Measuring what matters
14:00–14:20	Rankings Case Studies Why AppliedHE built their rankings The AppliedHE ASEAN & ALL ASIA Public & Private University Rankings Methodology
14:20–14:40	Rankings Case Studies The Education Collaborative Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa and value proposition of higher education rankings in Africa
14:40–15:40	Co-creation Activity The Measurement Wall From excellence to evidence: translating principles and dimensions into potential measures Measuring what matters: translate priority dimensions into possible measures and assess data realities Lead facilitators
15:40–15:50	Gallery Walkabout: The Gaps, Excellence, and Measurement Walls Exchange on relevance, fairness, validity, feasibility and comparability All delegates
15:50–16:10	Refreshment and comfort break
16:10–16:20	The Capture Emerging synthesis from the co-creation process Lead facilitators
16:20–16:35	All-Africa Principles for University Excellence
16:35–16:50	From Cape Town to the future Roadmap for the All-Africa Rankings Initiative. What happens to the principles, dimensions and measures after Cape Town?
Closing ceremony
17:30–17:45	Cultural performance Artists
17:45–17:55	Closing remarks and thanks
17:55–18:00	Close of Xchange

All times are South African Standard Time (SAST).

Be in the room

Join the conversation in Cape Town.

Register for AppliedHE Xchange 2026 @ UCT - ALL-AFRICA and take part in every session, catalyst and co-creation activity on the programme.

Need help? Email allafricarankings@uct.ac.za