Higher Education in Africa:
The Way Forward
The declining quality of university education in sub-Saharan
Africa and the institutional crisis which surrounds it have been
the subject of considerable analysis in the 1990s. With numerous
studies now available for guidance, it is believed that the main
constraint to the revival of African universities is not a lack
of knowledge or a sense of what is required but rather an inability
to take the necessary actions. How then to revitalize Universities
in Africa? The following article summarizes a strategy for universities,
governments and donors. The proposed "way forward" is
the result of discussions with a wide range of representatives
from African Universities, associated organizations, governments
and donors.
Universities play a more important national role in Africa than
in other regions. They are potentially the most capable institutions
in their countries. They are often the only national institutions
with the skills, the equipment, and the mandate to generate new
knowledge through research, or to adapt knowledge for the solution
of local problems. University roles in research, evaluation, information
transfer, and technology development are therefore critical to
national social progress and economic growth. In short, universities
are key actors in national development.
The essential problem confronted by African universities is that
the quality of university education in the region has declined
significantly as a result of dwindling resources during a period
of growing enrollments. Other factors have also contributed to
the crisis such as poor national economic performance, inappropriate
governing structures, feeble national policies, political interference
in many aspects of university endeavor, weak internal university
management, and campus instability. These problems have been the
focus of extensive analysis in the 1990s. In the process, substantial
information and understanding have been generated. However, the
ability to take necessary actions to revitalize African universities
has been lacking.
In 1996, the African Ministers of Finance identified key areas
requiring the strengthening of institutional and human resource
capacities. The renewal of African Universities was targeted as
one of these areas. Subsequently, a partnership for Capacity-Building
was established to marshal governement and donor energies around
this task. One of the outcomes of the partnership has been to
develop a strategy for the revitalization of African Universities.
This strategy is outlined below.
Strategic planning
The process of renewal within African universities can only begin
when universities themselves seize the initiative.
Strategic planning provides university leaders and all other
stakeholders with structures and practices that enhance their
ability to analyze conditions, to express a vision, to formulate
goals, and to persuade a university community to promote the advancement
of its institution in a clearly enunciated and programmed manner.
Strategic planning, which begins with a review of historical
antecedents and existing documentation in order to establish a
common point of departure, is subsequently transformed into an
action plan, which should be based on a commitment to change by
the stakeholders. The mission statement, the strategic plan, and
the action plan can be used by universities to open dialogue and
build consensus with all stakeholders. The goal is to improve
working relationships with government, donors, and the principal
employers of university graduates.
What should universities do?
University management and academic staff must assume responsibility
for their own future and take initiative on their own behalf.
The following are some of the actions which will allow a process
of university revitalization to be initiated:
- Develop an institutional strategic plan, using a consultative
and consensus-building approach involving all stakeholders.
The main elements of the strategic plan include the definition
of the university's mission statement, elaboration of an institutional
strategy, and preparation of an initial three-year rolling plan
for implementation of this strategy.
- Use the strategic plan as a basis to renegotiate the university's
relationship with key units of government.This discussion can
include topics such as the budget submission process, the budget
allocation process, management and institutional autonomy, and
mechanisms whereby the university will demonstrate accountability
to government and to the public.
- Build capacity for teaching and research activities at an
international standard in one or more academic areas that are
crucial for the country's economic or social advancement.
- Take immediate steps to foster and reward research activity.
These steps include budgetary provision earmarked for research,
and conditions of service that encourage research output by
staff.
- Develop a management information system that enables access
to timely and reliable information on institutional performance,
in order to assist managers to make informed decisions, and
to facilitate monitoring and evaluation.
- Devise and initiate management training courses for all university
managers, including senior administrative staff, department
heads, faculty deans, and vice-chancellors.
What should governments do?
Governments have the potential to contribute much toward the
renewal of their higher education institutions. Their most effective
assistance is likely to be in the form of policy and procedural
changes. The following list highlights some of the more consequential
possibilities:
- Provide funding with the objective of ensuring educational
quality. Maximize investment in higher education teaching and
research activities, and minimize support for nonacademic activities.
- Support university strategic planning by recognizing the urgent
need for universities to re-think their roles and missions in
light of contemporary circumstances, enabling university budget
submissions to reflect the priorities of the strategic plan,
and asking donors to provide support in ways consistent with
the plan.
- Encourage management autonomy and initiative. Permit university
councils to establish terms and conditions of employment and
to handle the contracting of all university staff. Ensure that
any cost savings generated by the institution are retained by
the university and that any additional revenues generated by
the university's own efforts are treated as supplements to public
funding. At the same time, encourage universities to set annual
performance goals, to publicly report their achievements, and
to have their accounts audited.
- Take the necessary steps to create an enabling environment
for the establishment of private tertiary education programs,
including appropriate measures to ensure educational quality
and relevance to the developmental goals of the countries concerned.
What should funding agencies do?
Funding agencies have an important role to play in the revitalization
of African universities. Some of the things that they can do are
to:
- Recognize the legitimacy of higher education as a development
investment. University development has national capacity-building
implications that reach far beyond the education sector.
- Support university strategic planning by providing the inputs
required to undertake strategic planning. Shape donor assistance
to university programs in accordance with the institution's
strategic vision.
- Provide assistance for strategic library development, for
definition of a coordinated university information development
plan, for campus-wide electronic networking with Internet access,
and for professional upgrading of library staff.
- Support institutional linkages designed to build capacity
in essential skill areas critical for the future development
of the country.
- Support management training through overseas work assignments,
degree training, local short courses, and in-service training.
Provide assistance for regional programs in leadership development,
management, institutional communications, and financial administration.
Excerpted from
"Revitalizing Universities in Africa - Strategy and Guidelines"
Prepared by the Association of African Universities (AAU) and
the World Bank (1) 1997, The International Bank for the Reconstruction
and development/The World Bank
(1) In collaboration with: African Economic Research Consortium;
Association des universités partiellement ou entirement
de langue française; Committee of University Principals
in South Africa; Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals
of Ghana; Conférence des recteurs des universités
francophones d'Afrique; Conseil africain et malgache pour l'enseignement
supérieur (CAMES); Council for the Development of Social
Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA); Délégation
permanente de la République de Côte d'Ivoire auprès
de l'UNESCO; Universities Commission in Nigeria.
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