By Enock Sithole
The African Journalism Education Network (AJEN) will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) online on Friday, 21 November, at 12 noon (SAST). Members will receive a Zoom invitation separately and are encouraged to register as indicated in the invitation.
A key item on the AGM agenda will be a proposed amendment to the organisation’s constitution, aimed at ensuring greater continuity within the network’s leadership.
According to the notice issued by AJEN president, Prof Franz Kruger, the organisation’s board has expressed concern that the current constitutional provisions could result in a loss of institutional memory and continuity between an outgoing and an incoming board, potentially weakening the organisation.
To address this, the board has proposed the addition of a new sentence to section 10.7 of the constitution. The revised clause would read:
“The members of the Executive Board shall be elected by the General Assembly for one two-year term and shall be eligible for re-election only once. However, the General Assembly may decide to elect up to three members of an outgoing board for a third time if it is deemed necessary.”
This addition would allow for up to three board members to serve a third consecutive term if the General Assembly considers it beneficial for maintaining leadership stability, he wrote in the notice.
Members have been formally notified that the proposed amendment will be put to a vote during the AGM.
Interest groups formed
In addition to constitutional matters, the notice highlights one of the tangible outcomes of AJEN’s recent meeting held in Accra, Ghana, the establishment of several special interest groups focused on different areas of journalism education and professional development.
These groups aim to promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing among journalism educators across the continent. Prof Kruger invited members to join and contribute to any of the following thematic areas:
- Campus Media, coordinated by Dr Basil Hamusokwe of the University of Zambia.
- Gender, led by Prof Margaret Jjuuko of NORHED and Christina Chan-Meetoo of the University of Mauritius.
- Curriculum and Teaching Materials, coordinated by Prof Sisanda Nkoala of the University of the Western Cape.
- Professional Development, jointly coordinated by Prof Nancy Booker of Aga Khan University and Pheladi Sethusa of Wits University.
- Research, coordinated by Prof Modestus Fosu of Unimac and Prof Franz Krüger of Wits University.
These groups will serve as platforms for developing resources, fostering collaboration and advancing the quality of journalism education across Africa.
Prof Franz Krüger encouraged members to participate actively in the AGM and in the newly established working groups. “I hope to see you virtually at the AGM,” he said, underscoring the importance of collective participation in shaping the organisation’s future direction.
A Zoom link to the AGM will be sent in due course. Members are encouraged to register as will be indicated on the invitation.