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- Convenors:
-
Claudia Baumann
(Leipzig University)
Susanne Ress (Humboldt University of Berlin)
Send message to Convenors
- Chair:
-
Rüdiger Lauberbach
(University of Leipzig)
- Discussant:
-
Akiiki Babyesiza
(Higher Education Research & Consulting)
- Stream:
- Economy and Development
- Location:
- 50 George Square, G.01
- Sessions:
- Wednesday 12 June, -
Time zone: Europe/London
Short Abstract:
This panel discusses political changes in African higher education. It looks at how universities and affiliated institutions react to the simultaneity of massive expansion, political rescaling, internationalization and decolonization on local, regional, national and international level.
Long Abstract:
Higher Education stakeholders throughout the world, including national governments, funders, and administrators reimagine universities as institutions of salvation, capable of equalizing opportunities at the individual level, and addressing and solving all contemporary and future societal problems through the goal-oriented production of knowledge. Depending on the socio-economic context in which the university is embedded, the hopes placed on higher education institutions include the stimulation of innovation, economic well-being, solutions for climate change, as well as equality, peace and security.
After decades of limited attention and severe budget cuts, universities in Africa are now also viewed as pivotal to social and economic development. The number of universities, students and border transcending academic activities is growing fast, raising political and economic interests at home and abroad. Actors from the global North re-evaluate conventional forms of academic cooperation while the global South sets entirely new agendas. Further propelled are changes by university rankings leading to an unprecedented exposure of individual universities and claims for decolonization under which the contemporary knowledge order is contested.
Universities in Africa are confronted with a simultaneity of massive expansion, political rescaling, internationalization and decolonization which creates enormous challenges but also opportunities. This panel invites contributions that show how universities and affiliated institutions react to the complex set of changes on local, regional, national and international level. A focus is laid on the political economy of higher education including the readjustment of aid and trade relations.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Wednesday 12 June, 2019, -Francois Van Schalkwyk (Stellenbosch University) Nico Cloete (Centre for Higher Education Trust)
Paper short abstract:
Using 15 years of empirical data from 8 African universities, this presentation will assess the performance of universities aspiring to be research-led. It will conclude by providing some explanations to account for the gap between the aspirations of African universities and their performance.
Paper long abstract:
The has been a shift in the discourse regarding the role of the university in development on the African continent. It is now widely accepted that for a country to thrive, it must develop high-level skills and competencies (human capital), as well as its scientific research, innovation and technological development capacity. Flagship universities in Africa have responded by aspiring to be research-led universities. This aspiration is reinforced by institutional pressures which, in turn, are attributable to the rise in the standing of global rankings to university management and the value of research in the metrics used to produce the rankings. There is therefore an intersection of global pressures and local aspirations for Africa to have research universities. But what is the reality on the ground? Using 15 years of empirical data collected from 8 African universities (including data on student enrolments and graduates, academic staff, and research outputs), this presentation will assess the performance of universities in Africa aspiring to be research-led. By applying a new categorisation for research universities, it will show that only one university can be categorised as research-led, three as emerging research universities, two as research-orientated and two as research aspirational. The presentation will conclude by providing some explanations to account for the gap between the aspirations of African universities and their performance, including the challenges of managing historically contradictory functions and the failure of global donor agencies and national governments to support or implement differentiated higher education systems.
Abomo Pierre
Paper short abstract:
Over recent decades, the development of Health Research Capacity Strengthening initiatives such as DELTAS Africa has been the new policy paradigm to address this gap. However, this new approach is not well understood in the literature.
Paper long abstract:
Endogenous capacities for scientific research in Africa are limited. This is particularly the case for the health sector, where sub-Saharan Africa is poorly represented in both numbers of scientists and research outputs per capita. This fact contributes to lower participation of the sub-Saharan African region in global health policy research and discussions, as well as the influence of its researchers in setting the global health policy agenda and priorities. Over recent decades, the development of Health Research Capacity Strengthening initiatives such as DELTAS Africa has been the new policy paradigm to address this gap. However, this new approach is not well understood in the literature. There is still limited evidence as to how consortia membership enhances the capacity of African research institutions to provide quality research training programmes to African researchers. This study aims at contributing to filling this knowledge gap.
The overall aim of this study is to explore to what extent the membership to Consortia leads to the improvement of the capacities of African higher education and research institutions to support researchers' training.
The study is carried out through case studies conducted in institutions from two countries hosting DELTAS consortia and illustrating two contrasting linguistic and political contexts in sub-Saharan Africa (Anglophone and Francophone Africa). The focus of the case studies is the researcher training programmes provided by the selected institutions belonging to the DELTAS network. Data collection is done via semi-structured interviews, site observations and documents reviews.
Abdul-Gafar Oshodi (Lagos State University)
Paper short abstract:
This paper draws attention to the growing presence of China in African universities. Identifying two broad manifestations of this presence as 'hard' and 'soft,' the paper interrogates both, teasing out the complexities (and sometimes contradictions), interests, and beneficiaries.
Paper long abstract:
Described as "the most momentous" event on the continent since the Cold War, China's presence in Africa (earlier described as "Chinese Africana") has generated considerable commentaries (often revolving around issues of natural resources, infrastructure, industries and the role of actors such as governments, small businesses, labour groups, the media and other civil societies). But in spite of their centrality to the production of both knowledge and the next generation of policy leaders, very few observers have interrogated the manifestations and significance of Chinese Africana for/in African universities. Given that universities are important arenas of Sino-Africa engagement and conversations, this paper discusses two dimensions of China in African universities: i.e. the 'soft and the 'hard' dimensions. The soft dimension locates Chinese presence in Africa within a Foucauldian and instrumentalist perspective that strongly views it as a powerful conversation that sets and sustains certain frames, frames that sometimes fit into broader political economic debates. The hard dimension highlights the nature of Chinese construction projects on African universities. Both dimensions - i.e. the hard and the soft - are then critically interrogated to tease out their complexities (and sometimes contradictions), interests, and beneficiaries. This paper is based on data from university websites, news reports, preliminary interviews, and observations at universities in three countries. It is also a part of a broader research agenda entitled 'African universities and the ecologies of China in Africa.'
Anne Campbell (Middlebury Institute of International Studies) Chelsea Lavallee Erin Kelly-Weber (Middlebury Institute of International Studies)
Paper short abstract:
African graduates of international graduate education view university teaching and citizenship education as crucial for sustainable development in Ghana and Nigeria, yet barriers exist to be involved in higher education.
Paper long abstract:
Outcomes of international higher education scholarship programmes are often measured by grantees' contributions or "give back" to their home societies. This qualitative study explores the ways that Ghanaian and Nigerian alumni of an international scholarship perceive their efforts to influence their home countries. Data is provided from interviews with 20 alumni (10 from each country) who pursued graduate education in Africa, Europe, or North America, and who finished their studies five to 13 years ago; secondary data is provided by scholarship programme archival research. Findings indicate that scholarship alumni interviewees—the majority who studied in the fields of international or sustainable development—advocated for education a key mechanism to influence social change and sustainable development in Ghana and Nigeria. Specifically, alumni stated two ways that they perceive their contributions to be most effective: 1) university teaching and 2) citizenship, voter, and human rights education. These two types of education were deemed valuable for both the immediate and long-term effects, with a view they would ultimately lead to stronger institutions and better governance. However, alumni noted significant barriers to enter related careers, especially in higher education, raising concerns of how they would "apply" their knowledge. In sum, this study aims to contribute to greater understanding of how Ghanaians and Nigerians with foreign education view and promote education as a tool for development. It also provides critical and timely evidence to question Sustainable Development Goal Target 4b, which promotes vocational and higher education in STEM via international scholarships for African students.