Euclid University

EUCLID, also called Pôle Universitaire Euclide or Euclid University, is an international intergovernmental organization with a university charter established in 2008. It has official headquarters in The Gambia and in the Central African Republic, but also maintains an executive office in Washington, D.C. Its primary mandate is to train officials for its participating states, but its programs are also offered to the general public. The institution's current secretary-general is Winston Dookeran.

History

EUCLID's origins are connected with the creation of a group of universities called "Euclid Consortium" by the University of Bangui and the University of N'Djamena in 2006. The project was administered by the International Organization for Sustainable Development, an international non-governmental organization headed by Syed Zahid Ali.
First conceived as an international extension for the University of Bangui, "Euclid" was redefined and constituted and a distinct institution in 2008 by an intergovernmental convention. The same year, the rector of the University of Bangui, Faustin-Archange Touadera was appointed as prime minister, and signed the convention formalizing his country's participation in EUCLID in 2010.
In January 2008, Syed Zahid Ali, acting as Secretary-General of IOSD, presented to various government representative attending a conference of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry a new legal framework called EUCLID Phase 2. Soon after, several governments interested in using the Euclid programs to train their own staff approved the statutes of the new international university which entered into force in April 2008.

Treaty information and legal status

United Nations treaty publication

According to the United Nations Treaty Series records, the EUCLID Open Memorandum of Understanding is classified as a "multilateral treaty" and entered into force in April 2008. The "Updated Framework Agreement" entered into force in September 2009.
The agreements signed by the Gambia were registered by the Permanent Mission of the Gambia to the United Nations in 2013.

Participating states

Headquarters

The initial 2008 agreement indicated that "The operational offices of EUCLID are allowed to remain in Brussels, Belgium and may be relocated or extended elsewhere upon recommendation of the Governing Board or by resolution of the Oversight Council".
In 2011, EUCLID signed a first headquarters agreement with the Central African Republic and obtained office space in the prime minister's building and on the campus of the University of Bangui. In 2013, owing to instability affecting Bangui and the Central African Republic, EUCLID signed a new headquarters agreement with the Republic of The Gambia, and leases offices in the Brusubi area of Banjul. Following the return of stability in the Central African Republic and the election of EUCLID's founding father and high steward Faustin-Archange Touadéra as president of the country in 2016, EUCLID signed an office sharing agreement with the National School of Administration and Magistracy. As of 2017, EUCLID maintains both headquarters locations and is registered in the UNESCO IAU World Higher Education Database under Central African Republic rather than Gambia.

Treaty-related domain and intellectual property rights

According to its constitutive text, EUCLID is defined as having an international legal personality, and it was granted a.int domain name under IANA regulations. As an "international intergovernmental organization", the institution also enjoys intellectual property protection under Article 6ter of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property which is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Schools and academic programs

EUCLID is organized in six academic units or schools:
School of Diplomacy and International Affairs

H. Tristram Engelhardt School of Global Health and Bioethics
School of Theology and Interfaith Studies
School of Global Economics and Development
School of Education, Language and Interpretation

EUCLID offers graduate programs in:

International Law and Treaty Law
Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Sustainable Development
Islamic Banking and Finance
Interreligious Dialogue
Climate and Energy Studies
International Public Health
Bioethics
International Organizations
Energy Studies
Comparative Christian Theology
Diplomacy and International Affairs
Eastern and Greek Orthodox Theology
Global Economics and Development
Interfaith Dialogue and Diplomacy
Renewable Energy Studies
Instructional Design and Open Learning
Catholic Studies
Sustainable Development and Diplomacy
Terrorism Studies and De-Radicalization
Joint degree programs

EUCLID signed in 2015 a joint degree program agreement with CAFRAD, an intergovernmental organization dedicated to public administration in Africa, serving 36 member states. A similar joint degree program agreement was signed the COMESA Leather Product Institute. These agreements regulate the following programs:

MBA in Islamic Finance
MBA in Leather Commerce and Industry
Master's in International Public Administration
Special programs

EUCLID was also involved in delivering distance-learning programs to civil servants in cooperation with the Ministry of Education of Eritrea between 2008 and 2012.

Organizational structure

EUCLID's structure is spelled out in the statutes considered as an annex to the published treaties. Its administrative organs are:

A governing board
A board of advisors
An executive board
An oversight council.
Secretaries-general and high stewards
Winston Dookeran
Syed Zahid Ali
Juan Avila,, High Steward since 2015
Faustin-Archange Touadéra, High Steward since 2014
Former high stewards
Banny deBrum, Ambassador of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to the United States
Mohamed Toihiri, Ambassador of the Union of the Comoros to the United States
Hermenegilde Niyonzima, Ambassador of the Republic of Burundi to the United Nations
Roubani Kaambi, Ambassador of the Union of the Comoros to the United States and United Nations
Affiliated institutes

The EUCLID statutes mentions several "affiliated institutes":

International Organization for Sustainable Development
EUROSTATE University Institute, now Euler-Franeker Memorial University Institute
International Institute for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Diplomacy
Center for Ecological Desertification and Reforestation.
Cooperation with other intergovernmental bodies

EUCLID has signed agreements with or is a member of:

Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, an affiliated institution of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
Economic Community of West African States
African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development
Islamic Development Bank
Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute
International Anti-Corruption Academy

EUCLID was approved as an intergovernmental observed in the UNFCCC Climate Conference starting with COP28 in Dubai.

Institutional memberships

Academic Council on the United Nations Systems
Association of African Universities
Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific
International Anti-Corruption Academy
United Nations Academic Impact
GUNI
United Nations Global Compact
PRME – United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education
GRLI – Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative

In his personal capacity, the EUCLID secretary general is a member of the International Association of University Presidents.

UN Interfaith Harmony Week prize

In 2016, EUCLID coordinated a series of events for the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week and was awarded first prize by the jury, with a gold medal to be presented to the EUCLID delegation in April 2016 by King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Accreditation and recognition

Central African Republic as headquarters state

EUCLID signed its initial headquarters agreement with the Central African Republic in 2011 which was updated with an additional protocol in 2018. The Permanent Delegation to UNESCO posted in 2016 its filing which includes EUCLID as "recognized / accredited". EUCLID is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education of Central African Republic as its historic headquarters state.

Gambia as headquarters state

The National UNESCO Commission of Gambia posted in 2014 its "UNESCO Portal to Recognized Higher Education Institutions" documents which now include EUCLID as "recognized / accredited". EUCLID holds institutional accreditation from the country's National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority.

UN statement

The Permanent Mission of the Central African Republic to the United Nations wrote to the UN Secretariat in October 2012 to complain that the world's five international universities were not included in the UN Inspira database. In December 2012, the United Nations replied that "both IAU/UNESCO and the UN Secretariat recognize Euclide- Pole Universitaire Euclide and the other four UN institutions... as being accredited" in spite of not being included in Inspira. The UN also indicated that these institutions which are "regional or global in nature" would be included under their headquarters states in future editions of the IAU WHED database used by the United Nations. The transfer was completed in September 2017.

Other participating states and Africa

The 2008 intergovernmental agreement states in its Article I that "EUCLID is chartered to confer diplomas, degrees and completion certificates accredited by the ministries of Education of the Participating Parties."
Gambia and Timor-Leste indicate that the degrees issued by EUCLID upon completion of the required coursework will be legally valid for use in the country by the graduates.
According to the Permanent Mission of the Central African Republic to the United Nations, the UNESCO Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and other Academic Qualifications in Higher Education in the African States applies to EUCLID with effect in the 22 ratifying States.
EUCLID is since June 2012 a member of the Association of African Universities which requires its members to be accredited.