Euclid University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids EUCLID (Euclid University, Pôle Universitaire Euclide)
Logo
Headquarters	Gambia (2013-current) and Central African Republic (2011-current) and Belgium (temporary until 2011)
Working languages	English French
Membership	12 Participating States
Leaders
• Secretary-General	Winston Dookeran
• Deputy-Secretary-General	Robin van Puyenbroeck
• Oversight Council Chair	Laurent Cleenewerck
Establishment
• Entry into force of Open Memorandum of Understanding I-49006	2008

EUCLID, also known as Euclid University, is a special international organization. It acts like a university and was started in 2008. EUCLID has main offices in The Gambia and the Central African Republic. It also has an office in Washington, D.C. Its main job is to train government officials from countries that are part of it. But anyone can also join its programs. The current leader of EUCLID is Winston Dookeran.

How EUCLID Started

EUCLID began with a group of universities called "Euclid Consortium" in 2006. The University of Bangui and the University of N'Djamena were part of this group. An organization called the International Organization for Sustainable Development helped manage this project.

At first, "Euclid" was meant to be an extension of the University of Bangui. But in 2008, it became its own separate international organization. This happened through an agreement between different governments. In 2010, the leader of the University of Bangui, Faustin-Archange Touadera, who became prime minister, signed the agreement for his country to join EUCLID.

In January 2008, Syed Zahid Ali introduced a new plan for EUCLID to government representatives. Soon after, several governments agreed to join. They wanted to use EUCLID's programs to train their own staff. The official rules for this new international university started in April 2008.

Agreements and Legal Status

United Nations Agreements

EUCLID has official agreements, like treaties, registered with the United Nations. These agreements show that EUCLID is a real international organization. The first agreement became active in April 2008. Another important agreement started in September 2009. The agreements signed by The Gambia were officially recorded by the United Nations in 2013.

Countries Working with EUCLID

Many countries have joined EUCLID. This means they have signed agreements to be part of this international university. Here are the countries that have joined:

Country	Joined	Signatory name	Signatory position	Comment
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	2008	Girlyn Miguel	Minister of Education	With treaty registration
Sierra Leone, Republic of	2008	Zainab Bangura	Minister of Foreign Affairs	With treaty registration
Eritrea, State of	2008	Osman Saleh	Minister of Foreign Affairs	With treaty registration
Uganda, Republic of	2008	Sam Kutesa	Minister of Foreign Affairs	No treaty registration
Vanuatu, Republic of	2008	Bakoa Kaltongga	Minister of Foreign Affairs	No treaty registration
Senegal, Republic of	2009	Abdoulaye Faye	Minister to the President	With treaty registration
Benin, Republic of	2009	Paulin Djakpo	Director of Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs	No treaty registration
Comoros, Union of	2009	Mohamed Toihiri	Permanent Representative to United Nations	With treaty registration
Burundi, Republic of	2010	Augustin Nsanze	Minister of Foreign Affairs	With treaty registration
Central African Republic	2010	Faustin Touadera	Prime Minister	With treaty registration, only signed 49007
Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of	2011	Joao Cancio Freitas	Minister of Education	With treaty registration
Gambia, Republic of the	2012	Mamadou Tangara	Minister of Education	With treaty registration
Djibouti, Republic of	2024	Mohamed Siad Doualeh	Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York	Pending treaty registration

Main Offices

Euclid headquarters agreement signing

When EUCLID first started in 2008, its offices were in Brussels, Belgium. The plan was for them to move or expand later.

In 2011, EUCLID signed an agreement with the Central African Republic. This gave them office space in the prime minister's building and at the University of Bangui. However, due to problems in Bangui and the Central African Republic, EUCLID signed a new agreement in 2013. This new agreement was with The Gambia, and EUCLID now has offices in Banjul.

After things became stable again in the Central African Republic, EUCLID's founder, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, became president in 2016. EUCLID then signed an agreement to share offices with a school there. As of 2017, EUCLID has main offices in both countries. It is listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database under the Central African Republic.

EUCLID Gambia Headquarters in 2023

Online Identity and Rights

EUCLID flag as registered with WIPO

EUCLID is recognized as an international organization. This means it has its own special legal identity. It was given a unique internet address ending in `.int`. This type of address is usually only for international organizations.

As an "international intergovernmental organization," EUCLID also has special protection for its name and logo. This protection is managed by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

What EUCLID Teaches

EUCLID has different departments, or "schools," that focus on various subjects:

• 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 advanced study programs in many areas, including:

• International Law
• Solving Conflicts
• Sustainable Development (making sure we use resources wisely for the future)
• Islamic Banking and Finance
• Talking Between Different Religions
• Climate and Energy Studies
• Global Public Health
• Bioethics (ethics in biology and medicine)
• International Organizations
• Energy Studies
• Christian Theology
• Diplomacy
• Eastern and Greek Orthodox Theology
• Global Economics
• Interfaith Dialogue
• Renewable Energy
• Instructional Design (how to create learning materials)
• Catholic Studies
• Terrorism Studies

Eritrea LOT3 graduation ceremony 2012

Programs with Other Organizations

In 2015, EUCLID started a program with CAFRAD. This is an organization that helps improve public administration in Africa. They offer joint degrees, meaning you get a degree from both organizations. Similar programs were also started with the COMESA Leather Product Institute. These programs include:

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

Special Training Programs

From 2008 to 2012, EUCLID also helped train government workers in Eritrea. They did this through distance learning programs, working with Eritrea's Ministry of Education.

How EUCLID is Organized

EUCLID has a clear structure to help it run smoothly. Its main administrative groups are:

• A governing board
• A board of advisors
• An executive board
• An oversight council

Leaders of EUCLID

• Winston Dookeran has been the Secretary-General since 2020. He was also a Minister of Foreign Affairs for Trinidad and Tobago.
• Syed Zahid Ali was the Secretary-General from 2008 to 2020.
• Juan Avila has been a High Steward since 2015. He is an Ambassador for the Dominican Republic.
• Faustin-Archange Touadéra, the President of the Central African Republic, has been a High Steward since 2014.

Past High Stewards

• Banny deBrum (2009–2011)
• Mohamed Toihiri (2011–2012)
• Hermenegilde Niyonzima (2012–present)
• Roubani Kaambi (2012–2014)

Partner Institutes

EUCLID works with several "affiliated institutes," which are partner organizations:

• International Organization for Sustainable Development (IOSD)
• Euler-Franeker Memorial University Institute
• International Institute for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Diplomacy
• Center for Ecological Desertification and Reforestation

Working with Other International Groups

EUCLID has signed agreements with or is a member of several other important international organizations:

• Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA)
• Economic Community of West African States
• African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development (CAFRAD)
• Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
• Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI)
• International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA)

EUCLID was also approved to be an observer at the UNFCCC Climate Conference, starting with COP28 in Dubai.

Memberships

EUCLID is a member of many important academic and international networks:

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

The Secretary-General of EUCLID is also a member of the International Association of University Presidents.

UN Interfaith Harmony Week Award

In 2016, EUCLID helped organize events for the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week. For their efforts, they won first prize. They received a gold medal from King Abdullah II of Jordan in April 2016.

Recognition and Approval

Central African Republic Recognition

EUCLID signed its first main office agreement with the Central African Republic in 2011. This agreement was updated in 2018. The country's UNESCO office confirmed in 2016 that EUCLID is "recognized / accredited." This means the Ministry of Higher Education in the Central African Republic officially approves EUCLID.

Gambia Recognition

The National UNESCO Commission of The Gambia also listed EUCLID as "recognized / accredited" in 2014. EUCLID has official approval from The Gambia's National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA).

United Nations Statement

In 2012, the United Nations confirmed that EUCLID and four other international universities are recognized. They said these institutions are "accredited" even if they weren't in a specific UN database at the time. The UN also stated that these global universities would be listed under their main office countries in future databases. This update was completed in September 2017.

Other Countries and Africa

The 2008 agreement states that EUCLID can give out diplomas and degrees. These are officially approved by the Education Ministries of the countries that are part of EUCLID.

Gambia and Timor-Leste have confirmed that degrees from EUCLID are legally valid in their countries. Also, a UNESCO agreement for African States applies to EUCLID. This means EUCLID's degrees are recognized in 22 African countries that signed this agreement. Since June 2012, EUCLID has been a member of the Association of African Universities. To be a member, a university must be officially approved.

United States

EUCLID is not a university based in the United States. It is not approved by organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. However, it has an office in Washington, DC, used for meetings with government staff.

Between 2008 and 2010, the state of Maine listed "Euclid University" as an unapproved institution. Maine removed EUCLID from its list after getting information from the university.

Michigan also used to list universities whose degrees could not be used for public jobs. This list included "Euclid University." After talking with EUCLID, Michigan stopped keeping such a list. Now, graduates from any university not approved by certain US organizations must show their degrees are equal to those from approved schools.

In 2013, Oregon's attorney general's office stopped publishing its list of unrecognized universities. This happened after they talked with EUCLID's lawyers and two ambassadors. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board also removed "Euclid University" from its list of "Illegal to Use" degrees in October 2018.

Famous Alumni

Some notable people who have studied at EUCLID include:

• Diego Gómez Pickering, an author and former Mexican Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
• Hanna Simon, the Ambassador of Eritrea to France and UNESCO.