Joseph KI-ZERBO University

What Joseph KI-ZERBO University does

Université Joseph KI-ZERBO (UJKZ) is the oldest and largest public university in Burkina Faso, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Ouagadougou with two regional university centers (CU-KAYA, CU-ZINIARE). The institution delivers higher education and research across five Unités de Formation et de Recherche (UFRs) in Language/Communication, Demographic/Social Sciences, Exact/Applied Sciences, Humanities, and Life/Earth Sciences, complemented by six specialized institutes (IBAM, IFOAD, IGEDD, IPERMIC, ISSDH, ISSP), four doctoral schools (ED-ICC, ED-LESHCO, ED-2S, ED-ST), and continuing education programs (DEC, CLUO, CPU, DIU), all operating under the LMD (Licence-Master-Doctorat) Bologna-compatible academic system. UJKZ enrolls more than 50,300 students and is supported by over 1,300 permanent and temporary teaching staff plus 500 technical and administrative personnel, with services managed through digital platforms including Campusfaso (student orientation/registration), ProGRES (academic/research management), DSpace (institutional repository), and E-CAMES (academic certification).

The university's revenue model is that of a state-funded public higher education institution: primary capital flows from government budget allocations under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education, supplemented by registration fees structured under national higher-education guidelines, student financial-aid schemes (national scholarships, housing, loans, health, transport subsidies), and external grants from international cooperation partners — notably the Belgian Embassy, ARES, and Université Libre de Bruxelles. Ancillary revenue streams include venue and bus hire, advertising spaces, and a guesthouse, disclosed through the university's "Prestations & Locations" service line. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven: enrollment is administered through the national Campusfaso orientation platform and the "1 Etudiant 1 Ordinateur" government program, while institutional positioning is reinforced through the 50th-anniversary campaign, partnerships with Belgian universities, and the presidential Initiative Présidentielle pour une Education de Qualité (IPEQ), which is funding a new 1,000-seat amphitheater.

Name

Joseph KI-ZERBO University

Legal name

Université Joseph KI-ZERBO

Website

https://ujkz.bf

Company type

Public

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Université Joseph KI-ZERBO is Burkina Faso's oldest and largest public university, delivering undergraduate through doctoral programs across 5 UFRs, 6 institutes, 4 doctoral schools, and 2 regional centers to over 50,300 students under the LMD Bologna-compatible academic system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG), Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• Public university
• Doctoral research schools
• Academic faculty units
• Distance learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Ouagadougou

HQ country

Burkina Faso

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Funding: As a public university in Burkina Faso, UJKZ is primarily funded through government budgets, student fees, and international cooperation agreements. Revenue comes from state allocations, registration fees, and partnership funding for specific research projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Université Joseph KI-ZERBO is Burkina Faso's oldest and largest public university, delivering undergraduate (Licence), graduate (Master), and doctoral (Doctorat) education through five Training and Research Units, six specialized institutes, four doctoral schools, and two regional university centers. The institution provides face-to-face and distance-learning programs across humanities, sciences, health, applied sciences, communication, biomedical, and political science disciplines under the LMD system, with more than 65 academic programs and over 130 specializations. It also conducts scientific research and offers continuing education services to its community of more than 50,300 students.

Product overview

Joseph KI-ZERBO University (UJKZ) is a comprehensive public university offering higher education across five Unités de Formation et de Recherche (UFR), six Instituts, four Ecoles Doctorales, and two Centres Universitaires, with a complete range of academic programs from undergraduate to doctoral levels. The institution also provides continuing education services and e-services for students, researchers, and faculty members, organized as an integrated academic ecosystem under the LMD (Licence-Master-Doctorat) system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UFR-LAC (Lettres, Arts et Communications) Faculty specializing in Letters, Arts, and Communications disciplines within the LMD system at UJKZ. Offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in language, literature, and communication studies.
• UFR-SDS (Sciences Démographiques et Sociales) Faculty focused on Demographic and Social Sciences education and research at UJKZ, delivering Licence, Master, and Doctorat programs in sociology, demography, and related social science fields.
• UFR-SEA (Sciences Exactes et Appliquées) Faculty dedicated to Exact and Applied Sciences teaching and research at UJKZ, offering programs in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and applied sciences disciplines.
• UFR-SH (Sciences Humaines) Faculty covering Human Sciences disciplines across multiple programs at UJKZ, including history, philosophy, psychology, and related humanities fields.
• UFR-SVT (Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre) Faculty specializing in Life Sciences and Earth Sciences education and research at UJKZ, offering programs in biology, geology, and environmental sciences.
• IBAM (Institut des Sciences Biomédicales et de la Santé Animale) Research institute focused on Biomedical Sciences and Animal Health research and training at UJKZ.
• IFOAD (Institut de Formation à Distance) Distance learning institute offering remote education programs at UJKZ, enabling off-campus students to pursue higher education.
• IGEDD (Institut de Gestion de l'Environnement et du Développement Durable) Institute dedicated to Environmental Management and Sustainable Development research at UJKZ.
• IPERMIC (Institut de Protection des Milieux et des Ressources) Institute focused on protection of environments and natural resources at UJKZ.
• ISSDH (Institut Supérieur des Sciences de la Santé) Higher institute dedicated to Health Sciences education and research at UJKZ.
• ISSP (Institut Supérieur des Sciences de la Population) Institute specializing in Population Sciences research and demography at UJKZ.
• ED-ICC (École Doctorale Informatique et Changements Climatiques) Doctoral school combining Computer Science and Climate Change research programs at UJKZ.
• ED-LESHCO (École Doctorale Lettres, Sciences Humaines et Communication) Doctoral school for Letters, Human Sciences and Communication disciplines at UJKZ.
• ED-2S (École Doctorale Sciences de la Santé) Doctoral school dedicated to Health Sciences research and training at UJKZ.
• ED-ST (École Doctorale Sciences et Technologies) Doctoral school for Science and Technology advanced research at UJKZ.
• CU-KAYA (Centre Universitaire de Kaya) Regional university center extending UJKZ programs to the Kaya region of Burkina Faso.
• CU-ZINIARE (Centre Universitaire de Ziniaré) Regional university center providing higher education access in the Ziniaré region of Burkina Faso.
• DEC (Diplôme d'Études Complémentaires) Complementary studies diploma program for continuing education at UJKZ.
• CLUO (Centre de Lectures de l'Université et des Organismes) University reading center offering continuing education services at UJKZ.
• CPU (Centre de Perfectionnement des Enseignants) Teacher training and professional development center for university faculty at UJKZ.
• DIU-FHV-AEE (Diplôme Interuniversitaire) Inter-university diploma program in human formation, life, artistic education, arts and aesthetics offered as continuing education at UJKZ.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,300+ enrolled students across all academic levels
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Belgium EmbassycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 202650 years of bilateral university cooperation celebrated in January 2026. Long-standing partnership supporting academic exchanges, research collaboration, and institutional development between Belgian and Burkinabè higher education systems.
• Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2026Partnership for the DEPLAST-BF project addressing food plastics in Burkina Faso. Scientific cooperation officially launched January 26, 2026, focusing on environmental research to achieve a Burkina Faso free of food plastics.
• ARES (Académie de Recherche et d'Enseignement Supérieur - Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Belgian university cooperation agency engaged in strengthening academic ties with UJKZ. Delegation visits conducted to reinforce Belgian-Burkinabè university cooperation with the new UJKZ President.
• Initiative Présidentielle pour une Education de Qualité (IPEQ)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Government initiative supporting quality education. Under this program, the university is acquiring equipment for the Amphi 1000 seats auditorium and constructing a new 1000-seat amphitheater.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Université de Ouagadougou (historical): Joseph KI-ZERBO University is the direct successor and renamed entity of the former Université de Ouagadougou. Included for historical/continuity context rather than as a separate operating competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD): Senegal's flagship public research university in Dakar. Most directly comparable to UJKZ as a large, multi-faculty francophone West African public university with doctoral schools, a broad LMD-style program portfolio, and a similar role as national higher-education anchor.
• Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny: Côte d'Ivoire's flagship public university in Abidjan. Comparable as a large francophone West African comprehensive public university with multiple faculties, doctoral schools, and a comparable scale and role in national workforce development.
• Ahmadu Bello University (ABU): Nigeria's largest public university by enrollment. Comparable as a massive-scale West African public research university with multi-campus structure, dozens of faculties, and large doctoral programs — a regional benchmark for scale even though anglophone.
• Université d'Abomey-Calavi (UAC): Benin's largest public university. Comparable as a francophone public research university serving tens of thousands of students across multiple UFRs and institutes with a similar national-mandate profile and West African francophone positioning.
• Université de Lomé: Togo's principal public university. Comparable as a francophone West African public comprehensive university with multi-faculty structure, LMD-aligned programs, and similar dependence on state funding.
• Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB): Mali's flagship STEM-leaning public university. Comparable to UJKZ as a francophone Sahelian public university with a strong scientific research mandate, doctoral schools, and similar public-funding model in a neighboring country.

Emerging players

• Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique (UM6P): A newer, well-funded Moroccan public-private research university. Comparable as a francophone African research university with strong international partnerships and a research-driven model, but with substantially greater funding and a STEM/R&D focus that contrasts with UJKZ's broader comprehensive scope.

Direct peers

• Université Thomas Sankara: Another major public university in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Most directly comparable as a domestic peer operating in the same national higher-education market, competing for the same student pool and government funding envelope.
• Université Nazi Boni: Public university in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso's second-largest city. Comparable as a domestic peer within Burkina Faso's higher-education system, competing for faculty, students, and ministry funding alongside UJKZ.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UniversiteJKZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universit%C3%A9-joseph-ki-zerbo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Joseph KI-ZERBO University