About TAU
An independent, American-model university in Bamako, founded to give Malian and West African students a world-class education without leaving the region.
An inheritance, not an invention
Between the 13th and 16th centuries, Timbuktu's scholars assembled one of the great libraries of the medieval world: hundreds of thousands of manuscripts on astronomy, medicine, law, mathematics and poetry. That tradition was not an accident of geography; it was the result of deliberate investment in learning. TAU exists to make that investment again, for this century.
The American model, taught here
Credit-based degrees, a liberal-arts core, continuous assessment rather than a single terminal examination, small seminars, and faculty who are reachable. Students choose a major but graduate having studied writing, ethics and African heritage alongside their specialism.
What we hold to
Rigour without gatekeeping
High standards, generous support. Difficulty is the point; exclusion is not.
Rooted and international
Curricula answer Sahelian problems while meeting the standards of any global employer or graduate school.
Bilingual by design
Instruction and support in English and French, because our graduates work in both.
Built to be useful
Every programme ends in a capstone or placement tied to a real problem in the region.
Leadership
TAU is led by an international team of academics and practitioners committed to building a durable institution.