Founded in 2005, SARUA is a membership-based organisation which is open to all the public universities of the 15 countries that make up the Southern African Development Community (SADC). SARUA currently has 57 members. SARUA was established to assist in the revitalisation and development of the leadership and institutions of higher education in the southern African region, thus enabling the regional higher education sector to meaningfully respond to the developmental challenges facing the region. These broad principles serve to establish the fundamental modus operandi of SARUA, and provide SARUA's strap-line: SARUA's overall aim is thus to strengthen the leadership and institutions of higher education in the southern African region, thereby consolidating a southern African agenda for higher education, and enabling higher education to make a significant contribution to national and regional development. The mandate of SARUA is: To assist in the revitalisation and development of the leadership and institutions of Higher Education in the Southern African region, thus enabling the regional Higher Education sector to meaningfully respond to the developmental challenges facing the region. The purpose of SARUA is: To strengthen the leadership and institutions of Higher Education in the Southern African region, thereby consolidating a Southern African Agenda for higher education which results in a significant contribution by Higher Education to national and regional development.