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Cheikh Anta Diop University (), also known as the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, is a university in
Dakar Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...
,
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
. It is named after the
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
ese physicist,
historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
and
anthropologist An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...
Cheikh Anta Diop Cheikh Anta Diop (29 December 1923 – 7 February 1986) was a Senegalese historian, anthropologist, physicist, and politician who studied the human race's origins and pre-colonial African culture. Diop's work is considered foundational to the the ...
and has an enrollment of over 60,000.


History

Cheikh Anta Diop University predates Senegalese independence and grew out of several French institutions set up by the colonial administration. In 1918, the French created the "école africaine de médecine" (African medical school), mostly to serve white and
Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...
students but also open to the small educated elite of the four free towns of Senegal with nominal French citizenship. In 1936, under the Popular Front government in France, Dakar became home to the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN), an institute for the study of African culture. In 1950s, with
decolonisation Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby Imperialism, imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. The meanings and applications of the term are disputed. Some scholar ...
already looming, the French administration expanded these schools, added science faculties, and combined the schools into the "Institut des Hautes Etudes de Dakar". In 1957, a new campus was constructed as the 18th French Public University, attached to the
University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...
and the
University of Bordeaux The University of Bordeaux (, ) is a public research university based in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It has several campuses in the cities and towns of Bordeaux, Dax, Gradignan, Périgueux, Pessac, and Talence. There are al ...
. This became the University of Dakar the largest and most prestigious university in
French West Africa French West Africa (, ) was a federation of eight French colonial empires#Second French colonial empire, French colonial territories in West Africa: Colonial Mauritania, Mauritania, French Senegal, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guin ...
. In 1987, its name was changed to honor the Senegalese philosopher and anthropologist,
Cheikh Anta Diop Cheikh Anta Diop (29 December 1923 – 7 February 1986) was a Senegalese historian, anthropologist, physicist, and politician who studied the human race's origins and pre-colonial African culture. Diop's work is considered foundational to the the ...
.


Enrollment growth

At independence in 1960, enrollment was 1,018 students, only 39% Senegalese, with most of the rest from other former French colonies. By 1976, this number grew to 8,014. In the 1970s, a time of state financial crisis, funding to higher education was cut, and international agencies stepped in over the next decade. Most of this funding, though, went to meet the needs of primary schools. In the 1990s and 2000s there was a huge boom in Senegalese primary and secondary education, much of it funded through international projects. In 1984 around 50% of Senegalese children received primary education and by 2004 more than 90% did. In the mid-1980s around 20% of World Bank funding to Senegalese education went to higher education, but this figure dropped to 7% by the mid-1990s. With these projects came severe
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
restrictions, dramatically cutting domestic funding available to university programs. As students who have benefited from primary and secondary education age, Cheikh Anta Diop University has had its already stretched resources stretched further. Nine thousand Senegalese students received a Baccalaureate degree in 2000, while total registration shot above 40,000, for a campus built with only 5,000 dorm rooms. Despite these pressures Cheikh Anta Diop University maintains a reputation as one of Africa's most prestigious institutions. Most of the post-independence generation of Senegalese leaders are graduates of the university, and its alumni teach in universities around the world.


Academics

The education system follows the French pattern, with oral and/or written final exams administered at the end of the year. All courses at the university are taught in French, except those in language departments other than French.


Schools and institutes

UCAD offers courses of study in Humanities, Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Finance, Accounting, and Law. The university awards the following degrees: B.A., B.S., Ph.D., and D.M.A. The School of Medicine includes departments of Pharmacy, Research, and Surgery. The university also encompasses the Institute of Sciences of the Environment (ISE) and the Institute of Sciences of Earth (ISE). The Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN), founded in 1936, remains one of the world centers of
African Studies African studies is the study of Africa, especially the continent's cultures and societies (as opposed to its geology, geography, zoology, etc.). The field includes the study of Africa's History of Africa, history (pre-colonial, Colonisation of Af ...
. The IFAN Museum of African Arts' ''Musée d'Art africain'', attached to IFAN, displays and conserves a world-renowned collection of African arts. The Centre de linguistique appliquée de Dakar (Center of Applied Linguistics of Dakar) at CADU is the regulatory body for the
Wolof language Wolof ( ; , ) is a Niger–Congo language spoken by the Wolof people in much of the West African subregion of Senegambia that is split between the countries of Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, ...
. Language studies are divided into the following disciplines:
Philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
, Sociology,
History History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
, Geography, Letters, Arabic, Russian, Languages and Civilizations, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Latin, German and Linguistics. The university oversees a language school: Institut de Français pour Etrangers (IFE). The IFE specializes in French language studies aimed at foreign students in preparation for regular courses taught in French.


Foreign programs

UCAD hosts a number of foreign study abroad programs, including ones administered by Wells College,
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...
, and the
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...
in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and numerous European universities. Participants in the program typically take a required course in Introductory Wolof and a French language (if applicable) course through the IFE in addition to regular university courses taught in French.Wells Program. (2005). Dakar Program for foreigners. Retrieved April 10, 2005, from A division of the university offers courses for foreign students in Senegalese and African studies, including African literature, history, politics, philosophy, and sociology. CADU is a member of the
Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO, formerly ISESCO) is a specialized organization that operates under the aegis of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and i ...
.


Special requirements

For foreign students, UCAD requires a minimum age of 18 to enroll in studies in pharmacy and a minimum age of 22 to enroll in studies relating to oral surgery.


Student life

UCAD has a diverse student body drawn from many countries including Senegal,
Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...
,
Burkina-Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,87 ...
,
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
, France,
Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...
,
Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...
,
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
, the United States,
Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...
,
Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
,
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
,
Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...
,
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. As with a number of other African universities, UCAD occasionally experiences student strikes protesting government or university policies, most notable of which occurred during the 1993 presidential election. With over 60,000 students and only 5,000 dormitory rooms, most students from outside Dakar must look for other accommodations. Many students live in the Cité Aline Sitoe Diatta, near the university campus, and those who can't afford Dakar's often high rents often share rooms.


Violence

The university has had a number of notable incidents of violence. A Senegalese LGBT organization noted in 2016 that ten cases of homophobic mob violence had occurred at the university since 2012. One of these, following a riot at the university, resulted in the death of the student who was suspected to be gay. The riot followed an attempt to apprehend the student, who had sought refuge in the university's bank and security office. Separately, self-immolations and clashes between students and police have been reported after students unsuccessfully demanded scholarships or challenged grading schemes.


Notable alumni and professors


Notable instructors

* Abdoulaye Bathily, former government minister and President candidate, Professor of History. * Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Senegalese philosopher, former Vice-dean of the College of Humanities and Professor of Philosophy. * Souleymane Mboup, microbiologist, leader of team that discovered
HIV-2 The subtypes of HIV include two main subtypes, known as HIV type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV type 2 (HIV-2). These subtypes have distinct genetic differences and are associated with different epidemiological patterns and clinical characteristics. HIV-1 ex ...
, and leads the Bacteriology-Virology Laboratory at le Dantec Hospital. * Amsatou Sow Sidibé, Senegalese lawyer and presidential candidate *
Khady Sylla Khady Sylla (Dakar, March 27, 1963 – Dakar, October 8, 2013) was a Senegalese writer of two novels, short work, and filmmaker. Life Born in Dakar, she studied at the ''École Normale Supérieure'' where she became interested in a literary caree ...
, Senegalese novelist * Louis-Vincent Thomas, French sociologist, anthropologist, ethnologist, former professor. *
Abdoulaye Wade Abdoulaye Wade (, ; born 29 May 1926) is a Senegalese politician who served as the third president of Senegal from 2000 to 2012. He is also the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), having led the party since it was founded ...
, former President of Senegal, former dean of the law and economics faculty.


Notable students

* Simeon Aké, former Ivorian Foreign Minister and UN Ambassador. * Barthélémy Attisso, guitarist and lawyer. * Sangaré Niamoto Ba, Minister of Mali * Sékou Ba, former Burkina Faso Minister of Animal Resources * Sokhna Benga, Senegalese novelist and poet * Emmanuel Bombande, cofounder and executive director of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, chair of the Board of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict *
Yayi Boni Thomas Boni Yayi (born 1 July 1951) is a Beninese banker and politician who was the president of Benin from 2006 to 2016. He took office after winning the 2006 Beninese presidential election, March 2006 presidential election and was re-elected to ...
, President of
Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...
. * Ousmane Camara, former Senegalese Chief Justice. * Awa Marie Coll-Seck, former Senegalese Minister of Health. * Mbaye Diagne, Senegalese Army officer and a United Nations military observer credited with saving many lives during the 1994
Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred from 7 April to 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. Over a span of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Gre ...
. * Souleymane Bachir Diagne (Philosophy), professor at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
. * Salif Diallo, Master of Law, Burkinabé political leader. * Cheick Sidi Diarra, United Nations Special Adviser on Africa and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OSAA/OHRLLS). * Ousmane Tanor Dieng:, International Relations, Law; first Secretary of the Socialist Party of Senegal, vice-president of the Socialist International. * Abdou Diouf, 2nd
President of Senegal The president of Senegal () is the head of state of Senegal. In accordance with the 2001 Senegalese constitutional referendum, constitutional reform of 2001 and since a 2016 Senegalese constitutional referendum, referendum that took place on 20 ...
* Mamadou Diouf, historian of
Cayor The Cayor Kingdom (; ) was from 1549 to 1876 the largest and most powerful kingdom that split off from the Jolof Empire in what is now Senegal. The Cayor Kingdom was located in northern and central Senegal, southeast of Waalo, west of the kingdom ...
, former CADU professor, and director of African Studies at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
. * Adebayo Faleti, Nigerian Poet, Writer and Actor. * Ibrahima Fall (politician): former Foreign Minister and professor of Law * Teguest Guerma, Medical Post-Doctorate, associate director of the HIV/AIDS Department, of the World Health Organization. *
Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (; 29 January 1945 – 16 January 2022), often known by his initials IBK, was a Malian politician who served as the president of Mali from September 2013 to August 2020, when he was forced to resign in the 2020 Malian cou ...
,
President of Mali This is a list of Head of state, heads of state of Mali since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day. A total of seven people have served as head of state of Mali (excluding three acting presidents). Additionall ...
* Souleymane Mboup, microbiologist and leader of team that discovered
HIV-2 The subtypes of HIV include two main subtypes, known as HIV type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV type 2 (HIV-2). These subtypes have distinct genetic differences and are associated with different epidemiological patterns and clinical characteristics. HIV-1 ex ...
* Molly Melching, Human rights activist. * Kanidoua Naboho, Doctor of Medicine, Burkinabé political leader. * Doudou Ndoye, Senegalese politician (Law) * Erin Pizzey, activist and founder of world's first domestic violence shelter. * Jean Pliya, Beninois playwright and short story writer. * Théodore-Adrien Sarr, Archbishop of Dakar, licentiate in Greek & Latin. * Talla Sylla, Senegalese politician, leader of APJ * Soham El Wardini, mayor of Dakar (first female to be mayor post-independence) * Marie Khemesse Ngom Ndiaye, doctor and health minister


Honorary degrees

*
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
: Honorary Doctorate conferred, 30 June 1992


See also

*
Gaston Berger University Gaston Berger University (GBU), or L'Université Gaston Berger (UGB), located some outside Saint-Louis, was the second university established in Senegal (the first being Cheikh Anta Diop University). Originally the University of Saint-Louis, it ...
, Saint Louis, Senegal * Universities in Africa * Education in Senegal * WARC * List of universities in Senegal


References


Notes


IFLA French Language Centre Established in the University Library, Dakar, Senegal
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). 20 August 2007.
Senegalese pay homage to Cheikh Anta Diop Tuesday
Dakar, Senegal, 02/07.
Cheikh Anta Diop University Library, Bibliothèque Centrale de l'Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD)
ArchNet.org. *Pina, Jean Rousset de
La Nouvelle Bibliothèque centrale de l'Université de Dakar
BBF, 1966, n° 08, p. 293-304 Consulted 18 March 2008

(FIFA.com) Tuesday 20 November 2007.

2007, Canadian International Development Research Centre.

2004, Canadian International Development Research Centre. *Kone, Pierrette Women in the university hierarchy at the Cheikh Anta Diop University Women in higher education in Africa; Publ: 1995; p. 140-148. *Niang, Souleymane African universities and globalisation Les Universités africaines et la mondialisation Higher education in Africa: achievements, challenges and prospects; Publ: 1998; p. 31-40.

By LYDIA POLGREEN, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', 20 May 2007.
NOTES FROM ACADEME Senegalese Scholar Focuses on Race in American Society
By Carolyn J. Mooney, ''
The Chronicle of Higher Education ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'' is an American newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and student affairs professionals, including staff members and administrators. A subscription ...
'', 3 July 1997.
Francophone Africa Universities’ Contribution to Development, Lessons to be Learned from Successful Initiatives
The
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
, Seminar,
Saly Saly (also called Sali or Saly Portudal) is a seaside resort and urban commune in Thiès Region on the Petite Côte of Senegal, south of Dakar. It is a major tourist destination in Senegal. History Saly was originally a Portuguese trading post kn ...
, Senegal, November 30-December 2, 2005 . * Clark, Andrew Francis; Phillips, Lucie Colvin; Phillips, Lucie Colvin. Historical Dictionary of Senegal. Scarecrow Press: (2nd Ed, 1995)


External links

* {{coord, 14, 41, 13, N, 17, 27, 48, W, region:SN-DK_type:edu_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Universities in Senegal Universities and colleges established in 1957 Forestry education Education in Dakar 1957 establishments in French West Africa Educational institutions established in 1957