Senegal’s President Macky Sall inaugurated Thursday the second public university in capital Dakar named after Amadou Makhtar Mbow, first African Director General of UNESCO.
The new education center will provide training in areas such as sciences and technologies, economic and management sciences and social sciences.
The center has two auditoriums with a capacity of 1500 seats each, a large university library, state-of-the-art laboratories, six pavilions with a capacity of 3000 beds and a restaurant with 1000 seats.
“With this inauguration, our country has just taken a quality step in its resolute march towards the emerging Senegal with this university which reinforces the brain and the intellectual capital of the new city of Diamnoadio to make it a modern and inclusive city,” the Senegalese President said.
Université Amadou Makhtar Mbow is located in the new lake city of Diambiadio, between Abdoulaye Wade football stadium and the Abdou Diouf International Conference Center.
Amadou Mahtar Mbow, born in 1921, was the first African to head the UNESCO from 1974-1987. The 101-year old man also held several state positions in Senegal, including Minister of Education between 1966 and 1970 as well as Minister of Culture from to 1968 to 1970.