Mali’s Higher Education Ministry Warns Universities Over Staff Abandonment

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has issued a warning to public universities following reports of widespread staff abandonment, urging institutions to strictly enforce existing legal provisions.

In a circular addressed to heads of university institutions nationwide, the ministry said it had identified “numerous cases of job abandonment” among teaching and research staff.

According to the statement, such practices constitute a breach of the statutory obligations governing university lecturers and researchers, as outlined in the ordinance of 27 September 2017. The ministry reiterated that all academic staff, regardless of rank, are required to personally fulfil the duties attached to their positions.

The authorities warned that prolonged absences undermine both the production and transmission of knowledge, while also disrupting the delivery of initial and continuing education programmes. 

The ministry added that staff shortages have contributed significantly to the rising number of overtime hours recorded in public higher education institutions.

In response, university administrators have been instructed to apply the law “to its fullest extent” in order to restore discipline and ensure the proper functioning of academic institutions.

The memo recalls that the statutory framework provides for a range of disciplinary measures under Article 72 of the current legislation.

University leaders have also been asked to report on actions taken within the prescribed timeframe, with the aim of facilitating the return of affected staff to their posts.

Official data for the 2021 – 2022 academic year indicate that Mali had 2,031 teaching and research staff in public higher education. Nearly 15 per cent were temporarily

unavailable, mainly due to leave or secondment. During the same period, the average student-to-faculty ratio stood at 73 students per lecturer, rising to around 91 students per lecturer in some universities.

The ministerial document makes no reference to proposed reforms of the existing legal framework, stressing instead that the current approach focuses on enforcing and strengthening the application of existing regulations.