Malian authorities are tightening enforcement of existing regulations in public universities after raising concerns over rising cases of staff abandonment. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has warned that increasing numbers of lecturers and researchers are failing to report for duty, in violation of the statute governing university staff established in September 2017.
In a formal letter to heads of higher institutions, the ministry stressed that persistent absences are disrupting teaching, research, and knowledge transmission, while also increasing overtime workloads for available staff in public universities. Officials described the situation as a serious breach of professional responsibility within the higher education system.
University administrators have been instructed to apply disciplinary measures where necessary, in line with the law, and to report actions taken within the required timeframe to facilitate the return of affected staff. Official figures from the 2021–2022 academic year show Mali had just over 2,000 teaching and research staff in public higher education, with nearly 15 percent temporarily unavailable.
The ministry clarified that the directive is not introducing new reforms, but rather enforcing existing regulations to restore discipline, improve efficiency, and strengthen the functioning of the country’s higher education institutions.
