UCAD: Daouda Ngom and Alioune Badara Kandji advocate for library modernization in the AI era

Minister Ngom highlighted the library's foundational impact on his own education and stressed the need for strong, well-equipped university libraries to achieve academic excellence, stating that the Senegalese government is a committed partner in this transformation. He called for an offensive, structured, and ambitious strategy to address challenges posed by digital advancements and Artificial Intelligence, asserting that access to a quality university library is a right, not a privilege. Rector Kandji described the Central Library as the "epistemic heart" of the university, a place where knowledge is organized, confronted, and transformed.

He acknowledged the profound impact of AI on academic practices, requiring a rethinking of librarians' roles as mediators and co-producers of knowledge. Kandji advocated for the library to become an open, evolving academic third place, combining memory and innovation, in line with UCAD's strategic vision focused on digital and emerging technologies. He encouraged students to fully utilize the library as an instrument of emancipation.