Africa-Wide News

31 May 2018

African Virtual University (AVU): 2018 KEY ISSUES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING 

Each year, ELI surveys the higher education community to determine key issues and opportunities in post-secondary teaching and learning. These key issues serve as the framework, or focal points, for our discussions and programming throughout the coming year. More than 900 community members voted on the following key issues for 2018. Read more

ARUA launches first centre of excellence

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) has launched the first of 13 ‘centres of excellence’ – with this centre focused on inequality – at an event held at the University of Cape Town’s School of Economics in South Africa last week. Read more

Medical education a focus of violence in conflicts

As a result of armed and violent civil conflicts, direct and indirect incidents have targeted medical education’s components including medical schools and faculties, teaching hospitals, libraries, professors and medical students across several countries located in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Read more

Towards a common standard for postgraduate training

A first-of-its-kind regional workshop intended to build capacity in the supervision of postgraduate studies was held last month in Kigali, Rwanda, as part of a broader process aimed at developing common standards for postgraduate training in the East African region and increasing the number of masters and PhD graduates. Read more

 

30 April 2018

Science Academy Launches Two New Mobility Funds

Two new mobility funds have been launched by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), aimed at encouraging African researchers to work together and with their Indian counterparts to better address health and development challenges. Read more

University Dons Dominate New List of AAS Fellows

Scholars and researchers based in African and foreign universities have dominated the latest list of 32 senior scientists named as 2017 fellows of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS). Read more

You Get 9 Exemptions from the ACCA Certification!

The Level 6 Diploma in Accounting and Financial Management, awarded by an Ofqual approved British Awarding Body, is equivalent to a Bachelor degree and leads to 9 exemptions out of the 14 ACCA examination papers. This is an ideal qualification for candidates wishing to qualify as ACCA Chartered Certified Accountants. Read more

 

30 December 2017

Africa’s Population Explosion Bad News for Future Food Security

Management of Africa’s spiraling population growth is crucial to addressing hunger and adequate food production for the continent, but also the potential to end food shortages globally.

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Agricultural Transformation and the Role of African Universities

Africa has been described by Mckinsey, as ‘Lions on the move’ to describe the growth in the consumer sector in many of its countries and its tremendous potential. Much has been achieved, as indicated by the remarkable economic growth indexes. Read more

HE In the Context of Science Diplomacy and Merit Reviews

While there are indications that knowledge production in the form of research and publication is increasing, in proportion to other regions of the world our productivity is still low. Read more

New Policy Centre to Work with Universities on Land

An African Land Policy Centre that will work with African higher learning institutions and other stakeholders has been unveiled to strengthen and sustain Africa’s capacity to coordinate activities of member states. Read more

Non-African Partners Influence Research Agenda

When there is no non-African influence, the co-authorship priorities appear to change. Read more

Universities Gain from Growth in Philanthropy

There has been extraordinary growth in philanthropy in Africa – and universities have been major beneficiaries. Read more

 

30 October 2017

Addressing the Generation Gap in Agriculture for Socio-economic Development of Africa

Although there are diverse rural livelihood opportunities from agriculture, many young people unfortunately, find it unattractive and regard it as employment of the last resort. Read more

Build Skills to Transform Economy, Africa Urged

This trend does not come overnight, but through different transformations of human history. Read more

Centres of Excellence to Bridge University-Industry Gap

Universities from Southern and Eastern Africa are looking to partnerships between ‘African Centres of Excellence’ and the private sector to help promote relevant and quality education. Read more

Investing in Africa’s Young Population to Drive the Continent’s Agenda

According to the United Nations report, by 2050, there will be an increase of 1.3 billion in Africa’s population. Africa’s growth is expected to move from 1 to 4 billion people. Read more

President Akufo-Addo Urges African Universities to Work Harder

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo urged African universities to work harder to advertise themselves in the global village. Read more

Regional Body Pushes For Common Higher Education Area

Disparities in education systems are working against efforts to have a common higher education area in East Africa. Read more

UN Project Aimed At TVET Sector Enters Second Phase

Five African countries are set to benefit from the second phase of a United Nations project which seeks to strengthen national technical and vocational education and training, or TVET, systems and boost youth employment. Read more

Why Higher Education Matters

There is renewed focus on the role of higher education in catalysing the development of African economies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals within the broader visionary context of the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063, The “Africa We Want”. Read more

 

15 October 2017

Continental Experts Push For Quality Research Impacting Policies

Experts from various African countries have called for innovation and creativity to ensure quality research that will help make relevant policies to handle various challenges facing the continent. Read more

The Future of Higher Education Is ‘Balanced and Inclusive’

African universities and entire education systems need to embrace ‘balanced and inclusive education’ to produce forward-looking graduates capable of tackling the continent’s socio-economic challenges and of adapting to changing global trends. Read more

President Akufo-Addo Urges African Universities To Work Harder

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday urged African universities to work harder to advertise themselves in the global village. Read more

Why Engineering Schools Globally Need More Creative Women

Engineers are good at solving problems. We make bridges safer, computers faster and engines more efficient. Read more

 

30 September 2017

Are Graduates Prepared For The Job Market? Rethinking Africa’s University Model

Across Africa, students arrive on campuses full of hope that a university degree will improve their lives. The reality is far less certain. Read more

Network Aims To Strengthen African Scholarly Publishing

A small group of African scholarly publishers has launched a network for collaboration, experience-sharing and advocacy – and they have invited other publishers of scholarly monographs across Africa to join. Read more

STEM Vs Humanities – Calls For A More Balanced Approach

While the past decade has seen increased pressure on African universities to enrol and train more students pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM subjects, a more integrated approach to development which includes the humanities and social sciences, is starting to receive more attention. Read more

Universities Face An Age Of Cyber Crime

An increasing number of cyber attacks targeting African higher education institutions and universities points to the need for more effective security and greater emphasis on university-based education and research. Read more

Universities Need Imaginative, ICT-Enhanced Presses

Scholarly book publishing is in trouble. Two contrary developments can be observed internationally. On the one hand, there are perceptions in academia of ‘robber capitalism’ on the part of the large commercial publishers as they protect their oligopoly in the face of dissolving spatial barriers and diminishing value add. Read more

 

15 September 2017

Africa Regional International Staff / Student Exchange

The Africa Regional International Staff / Student Exchange (ARISE) Programme invites applications from African nationals for a limited number of staff mobility scholarships. Read more

E-Learning Hub a ‘Short-Cut’ To Agricultural Knowledge

The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture, or RUFORUM, is working jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, or FAO, to implement an e-learning hub intended to enhance the capacity of agricultural graduates to meet the changing demands of the agricultural sector. Read more

Increasing Number of Chinese Students Head to Africa

Many Chinese students have their eyes set on American and European universities for overseas study because of advanced social development, but a growing number of Chinese students are going against the trend and receiving their education in African countries, Read more

New Programme to Produce High-Level Agricultural Skills

African universities are set to benefit from a new €4.2 million (US$5 million) programme that will train postgraduate students in 11 countries in three thematic project areas: crop improvement; aquaculture and fisheries; and fragile ecosystems management. Read more

New Survey to Assess Challenges Facing Young Scholars

What are the unique challenges faced by researchers and academics early in their careers and how can they be better supported? A new study – geared towards early-career scholars in all disciplines in Africa – is set to find out. Read more

Rising Student Suicides – What Can Universities Do?

As the world marks the 15th World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September, the rising number of suicides among North African students and university graduates is turning the spotlight onto the role of universities in supporting vulnerable students and raising awareness around mental health issues. Read more

Tempest in the Rankings Teapot – An African Perspective

It is that season when ranking entities announce their ‘findings’ on the comparative stature of the world’s universities. As usual, the ‘premier’ universities remain at the top and the rest are relegated to the bottom – African universities in particular. Read more

 

31 August 2017

AAU Spearheads Efforts to Improve Research Quality in Africa

Higher education institutions are expected by society to produce quality research which responds to societal needs and solves the specific problems in communities. Read more

An Opportunity for the University to Change Direction

Renowned African scholar Professor Mahmood Mamdani, who returned to the University of Cape Town last week after a 16-year absence to deliver the TB Davie Memorial Lecture hosted by the academic freedom committee, argued that the university had a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change direction – from a colonising outpost to a decolonisation project. Read more

New Academy Leader Champions the Power of Science

There is good science in Africa,” said Professor Nelson Torto, the newly appointed executive director of the African Academy of Sciences, or AAS. “My only concern is that it might not be necessarily focused on the current needs and that is really something that requires debate and understanding.” Read more

 

15 August 2017

Creating Equal Partnerships Calls for a Paradigm Shift

While it is widely known that few partnerships between African and international organisations benefit all the parties involved, how to change that imbalance remains a key challenge, but one that the recently launched Alliance for African Partnership, or AAP, is determined to tackle. Read more

Description of African Education as Low in Academics Unfair

The Minister of State in-Charge of Tertiary Education, has described as unfair the perception of the western countries that the academic standards of higher education in Africa are low. Read more

Helping International Students Feel At Home at University

International students are defined as students who study outside the borders of their home country. In 2013, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stated that 4.5 million students globally were studying outside their home country. Read more

Stakeholders Call For Reform in Higher Agricultural Education in Africa

Stakeholders engaged in higher education in Africa gathered in Gaborone, Botswana from 25th to 30th July 2017 to map out transformations necessary to increase the contribution of higher agricultural education to Africa’s development. Read more

‘Sub-Optimal’ Partnerships Continue to Impede Progress

Partnerships are inherent to the human condition, but action is urgently needed to improve the quality of the ‘sub-optimal’ partnerships that Africa continues to develop within the continent and with the outside world, according to Célestin Monga, chief economist and vice-president for economic governance and knowledge management at the African Development Bank in Côte d’Ivoire. Read more

 

15 July 2017

Africans Need To Grow Technology, But On Their Own Terms

Technology, together with all the disruptions it causes, has secured a big part in narratives, norms and visions for Africa’s future. Read more

Africa’s Youngest Female Phd Holder: Musawenkosi Saurombe

Personal and familial sacrifices counted largely for the academic march that has earned her a doctorate in Industrial Psychology. Read more

Capitalizing on Africa’s Youth Dividend

For Africa, the question is no longer “if” students are taught, but “what.” Unfortunately, while access to education has improved significantly in recent decades, school curricula have changed little since the colonial era, when secondary education was an elite privilege designed to advance the careers of a select few. Read more

Institutions Urged To Play Their Role in Transforming Africa

Private and public institutions have been urged to work together in order to help the government to form the society that will be willing to transform Africa and come up with a strong continent. Read more

Technology in Agriculture Must Reach Small-Scale Farmers

As the global population inches closer to 10 billion, Africa is still food insecure and inefficient agricultural practices hold it back. Read more

 

30 June 2017

Academy Sends Nine Scholars to Nobel Laureate Meetings

The African Academy of Sciences, or AAS, has nominated seven African scholars under the age of 35 to participate in this year’s prestigious Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting dedicated to chemistry which takes place later this month. This will be followed in August by the sixth Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences – at which Africa will be represented by two young economists. Read more

Germany to Fund New Regional ICT Centre of Excellence

The government of Germany is set to deepen higher education cooperation with East Africa by funding the establishment of a centre of excellence in information and communication technology or ICT in the region to deliver a specialised masters programme in embedded and mobile systems. Read more

Governments Must Work With Universities on Climate Change

East African governments should work with universities to build knowledge on climate change with a view to building the capacity and resilience of local communities, who largely depend on rain-fed agriculture, to mitigate the consequences of climate change. Read more

Higher Education Harmonisation – Not Just a Dream

The higher education institution qualifications harmonisation project embarked upon by the African Union is part of attempts by the continental body to ensure that the integration of the people in Africa is not confined to the political level alone. Read more

Keeping Higher Education Tuned In

Students must become full partners in higher education development to keep it tuned to current and changing demands, according to the two students who presented their cases at the 14th Association of African Universities or AAU General Conference and Golden Jubilee Celebrations. Read more

The AAU – A Continuous Champion of Higher Education

The Association of African Universities, or AAU, was founded in Morocco in 1967 with 34 of the then existing 46 higher education institutions in Africa. Today the association has a membership of 386 African higher education institutions from 46 countries and has just celebrated its Golden Jubilee. Read more

Tuning in to Graduate Employability

Among African universities, many of which are rooted in struggling national economies, the issue of graduate employability and entrepreneurship has taken centre stage over the past few years. An Africa-led European Union programme known as ‘Tuning’ is helping to improve graduate employability by facilitating the redesign of university programmes with an eye on student learning outcomes. Read more

 

15 June 2017

Calls to Boost Universities’ PhD Science Training Capacity

Strengthening the capacity of East African universities to train PhD and post-doctoral academics in areas such as human nutritional sciences, agriculture, technology, engineering and mathematics is urgently needed to develop local scientific capacity and help the region to achieve its development goals. Read more

Journalism Education – A Key to Successful Democracies

Well-trained journalists are integral to functioning democracies, particularly in Africa where some states are relatively young and others are still trying to shrug off the legacies of colonialism. Read more

Private Providers Can Help Meet Demand for HE – Report

The private sector – already providing about 30% of higher education places in Africa – can do more to meet the continent’s educational challenges, and African governments should be maximising its contribution, rather than ignoring or acting against it. Read more

The Internet – A Transformative Power in Higher Education

Information and communication technologies, or ICTs, and the internet in particular, hold enormous transformative potential for all levels of education in Africa, including higher education. Read more

Universities – Learning From Society for Society

The concept of the developmental university can be described as an academic establishment dedicated to making a direct and indirect contribution to all aspects of a society’s development. Read more

 

15 May 2017

Internet of Things’ Centre to Boost Innovation Capacity

The Africa Centre of Excellence in the Internet of Things is out to attract PhD candidates in what is a new concept in the field of computing which has the potential to boost Africa’s development through innovation. Read more

Heads of State Declare Common Higher Education Area

Heads of East African states declared the transformation of the East African Community, or EAC, into a Common Higher Education Area, which will facilitate the recognition of academic certificates and the transfer of credits from higher education institutions across the region. Read more

Meeting Shares Engineering Research, Training Challenges

Experts met in Dakar, Senegal, recently to discuss problems linked to engineering research and the training of engineers in five African countries. Read more

Pan African University Institute Seeks New Student Cohort

The Algiers-based Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (including Climate Change), or PAUWES, seeking to create a new generation of African leaders capable of helping to address Africa’s most significant development challenges, has launched a call for new students for the next academic year. Read more

Tapping Into the Power of Technical Education

African technical universities can help to add value to primary commodities and other natural resources, support economic transformation, provide technology solutions to small and medium enterprises, and contribute to wealth creation as part of enhancing technical and vocational education and training, or TVET, on the continent. Read more

 

30 April 2017

Creating the Ecosystems Needed For Science to Thrive

The African Academy of Sciences, or AAS, founded in 1985, aspires to shape the continent’s strategies and policies and implement key science, technology and innovation programmes. Read more

Europe-North Africa HE Cooperation Plan Unveiled

In efforts to promote cooperation in science, technology, innovation and higher education, five countries of the Arab Maghreb Union and five European countries have approved a two-year cooperation plan aimed at stimulating economic growth, job creation and social cohesion in the Western Mediterranean region. Read more

French Research into African Education Is ‘Invisible’

In spite of interest in the field, French research into education in African and other developing countries is badly structured and poorly supported, making its findings virtually invisible, a study reveals. Read more

Minister Calls for Less State Meddling in Universities

Kenya’s education minister has called for African governments to pull away from direct management of their country’s universities, saying such meddling is unnecessary and can hinder the development of effective management. Read more

Southern Africa Short of Skilled Staff in Oil and Gas

The eastern and southern Africa region is short of skilled professionals such as engineers, geoscientists and mechanical technicians who are now in high demand in the oil, gas and allied sectors. Read more

Staying Connected In the Diaspora – A Key to Development

Managing the relationship and defining the obligations on African scholars who pursue studies on other continents is a complex issue with no easy answer, but maintaining some form of connection is widely regarded as important for Africa’s development. Read more

World Bank Forum Calls for Private Sector to Build Skills

The private sector has been called upon to support efforts to create skills and capacity in Africa to contribute to Africa’s transformation and economic growth. Read more

 

15 March 2017

African Languages – Lifting the Mask of Invisibility

As the first prime minister of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah was always aware of the necessity of securing the African continent as a base for all peoples of African origins. He had a vision of an Africa as a dominant industrial power in the world, but he was also aware that this had to go hand in hand with decolonised minds. Read more

African Universities Churn Out Useless Graduates

Most universities in Africa produce half-baked graduates who do not have skills required by the industry. Read more

Campbellsville University USA, pledges $30 million five-year empowerment plan in education for Africa

U.S based Campbellsville University has announced a $30 million five-year empowerment plan for education in Africa. Read more

Diversifying Income Streams in African Universities

In order to be sustainable, successful tertiary institutions around the world have found ways to diversify their income streams so as to reduce dependence on public funds which are often tied to economic and political factors. How can this work in Africa? Read more

East African Varsities Set up Legal Clinic

Regional universities within the East African Community (EAC), have partnered and established a joint law clinic to assist the poor, vulnerable and marginalised have access to justice in the region. Read more

Ex-Tanzanian President Mkapa Preaches Innovation

Former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa has appealed to higher institutions of learning in Africa to stop copying but embrace a home grown curriculum, which he says can solve Africa’s problems. Read more

Lifelong Learning Challenged by Perceptions of Inferiority

The 57 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, 27 of which are in Africa, have adopted a declaration for promoting lifelong learning in universities, but implementation is still challenged by attitudes which position lifelong learning as the ‘poor cousin’ in universities. Read more

Quality Assurance Workshops Target University Teaching

As pressure mounts on African universities to produce employable graduates, the quality of university teaching has been identified by the Association of African Universities as a key factor in improving outcomes. Read more

Science Policy Foiled by Institutional Capacity – Report

Despite the fact that two-thirds of African countries have policies and strategies in place for science, technology and innovation, the capacity of the continent’s higher education institutions and associated research centres to implement them remains very low. Read more

Towards a Development Model for Africa Based on Human Capital

In order to transform its economies in the world fueled by information and driven by knowledge, Africa needs to build on its knowledge capital. Read more

World Bank PhD Skills Programme Seeks Greater Buy-In

Only five African countries have made their pledges and committed to the World Bank’s Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology programme since its launch three years ago. Read more

 

15 February 2017

Bringing Out the Best in African Research

The African Research Universities Alliance, or ARUA, a unique network of 16 top African universities, was created in 2015 to grow the continent’s contribution to global research and raise the profile of its research globally. University World News spoke to its secretary-general, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, about how the alliance intends to “bring out the best in Africa”. Read more

Intensified Support for Climate Change Researchers

The African Academy of Sciences and the Association of Commonwealth Universities have selected 37 African researchers from different African universities for the third cohort of a programme supporting early career researchers in the field of climate change adaptation and mitigation. Read more

Why Joburg Is the Best Place in Africa to Study

Johannesburg hasn’t previously appeared in the top 100. Johannesburg achieved a particularly high score for affordability in the Best Student Cities index, reflecting its fairly low tuition fees and living costs. Read more

 

31 January 2017

Cooperation – The Magic Word for Academic Libraries

Academic libraries located in North Africa’s universities need to join forces to form consortia or alliances in order to provide access to relevant information resources and services that meet the needs of higher education. Read more

New Graduates to Assist Pastoralists with Climate Change

Pastoralists in the arid and semi-arid areas of East Africa are at the coalface of climate change impacts. A new cohort of masters graduates from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania is set to enrich the capacity of these farmers to enhance their resilience to climatic variations and address growing food security challenges. Read more

Rethinking the University for an Online Era

When the Virtual University of Uganda, or VUU, was conceived in 2010, we knew a lot of work lay ahead to prepare for the provision of education to graduate professionals who could not afford to leave work to gain a higher qualification. Read more

 

15 November 2016

African University Day and Innovation Week Celebration Launched

The Association of African Universities (AAU) has launched the 2016 edition of its annual African Universities Day Celebration with an objective to promote critical dialogue among stakeholders on how to improve higher education in Africa. Read more

African Union Chairperson announces a Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government to Champion Higher Education in Africa

Ten African Heads of State and Government have been constituted into a Committee to champion Higher Education, Science and Technology in Africa, as part of the efforts to strengthen the role of Science and Technology to enhance the realization of economic growth on the continent. Read more

Challenges and Solutions for Francophone Universities

While the number of students in Africa continues to rise, universities often fail to equip them with skills needed for employment – and they have two to three times less chance of finding work than those who left school after primary level. This situation formed part of the backdrop for a conference that debated problems faced by higher education in Africa. Read more

Higher education needs to be more affordable for Africa to grow’

Founder of UNICAF,   has said that it is imperative that higher education becomes a more affordable option to enable the continent to create a strong, well-qualified workforce to meet the needs of its growing economy. Read more

Internationalisation: A Driver of Change

Internationalisation is a phenomenon that now influences different aspects of university activities, including leadership. Its consequences, opportunities, challenges and risks demand not only closer analysis and understanding but also new leadership responses. Read more

Second African Centres of Excellence Project Launched

A second regional centres of excellence project, co-funded by the World Bank and aimed at providing sustainable solutions through science and technology in higher education across East and Southern Africa, was officially unveiled in Kenya’s capital Nairobi. Read more

Varsities Must Resolve People’s Problems – Mbeki

African higher learning institutions should provide solutions to the development challenges and opportunities facing its people across the continent. Read more

 

31 October 2016

African Varsities Launch Courses to Develop Skills

The Partnership for Africa’s Next Generation of Academics (PANGeA) has launched a new training and skills development programme, PANGeA-Ed, after a four-day meeting of the partnership’s board in Kampala. Read more

African Virtual University to Open More Centres

The African Virtual University or AVU, in partnership with the African Development Bank, has launched phase two of its multinational project aimed at expanding its network of centres of open, distance and e-learning and which will see 27 facilities opened in 21 countries. Read more

Cambridge Has Waived Application Fee for Graduate Students from Most African Countries

The University’s policy on graduate admissions was reiterated at the opening of the third Cambridge-Africa Day, the Director of the Cambridge-Africa Programme confirms. Read more

Heads of African Universities Discuss Harmonisation of Higher Education

Heads of universities in Africa are meeting in Accra to discuss the harmonisation of higher education to promote academics on the continent. Read more

World Bank Launches Sh14bn Project for African Universities

The World Bank has launched a sh14 billion project aimed at delivering market-relevant post graduate education and building research capacity in the Eastern and Southern Africa region. Read more

 

30 September 2016

African Research Universities to Create Hub of Expertise

Across the developing world, especially in Asia, but also in Latin America, the Middle East and other regions, there is a strong correlation between economic growth and a commitment to build strong research capacity to grow new sectors and expand existing industries. Read more

Conceptual Clarity on the Makings of an African University

Academics are trying to rid universities of the procedures, values, norms, practices, thinking, beliefs and choices that mark anything non-European and not white as inferior. Read more

Ethics and the Developmental University

The classical university model has not helped developing countries as they do not produce the kind of graduates who can deal with the developmental problems they face. Instead a different type of university is needed – the developmental university. Read more

Virtual Institute for Higher Education in Africa Reopens

In January 2017, the Virtual Institute for Higher Education in Africa will reopen its digital doors with a new set of free courses to help African university lecturers face the challenges they meet in their everyday work. Read more

 

15 September 2016

Education in Africa Has Helped to Entrench Colonial Systems

Violence has never been a conclusive solution, but with education, communication and information, the continent can begin to deal with her problems in a more peaceful way. Read more

How to Fund African’s Higher Education

What is the future of higher education funding in Africa? This was the question asked by SciDev.net at recent online debate. Read more

Multiple Positive Signs for African Higher Education

Two of the biggest and fastest-growing economic sectors in Africa are churches and higher education. Read more

New Fellowships to Tackle Africa’s Growing Cancer Burden

The increasing cancer burden in Africa has prompted efforts in higher education to tackle a scarcity of oncologists. This month sees the launch of a fellowship initiative by the University of Nairobi and German-based pharmaceutical Merck Group, to train experts across Africa. Read more

Seven Ways to Improve Africa’s STEM Education

Tertiary education is essential. However, the continent faces a number of challenges that must be addressed if it is to truly educate and empower the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics leaders. Read more

University Entrepreneurship: Key to Surviving Uncertainty

Dwindling government funding and graduate unemployment are just two of the factors contributing to the need for African universities to embrace entrepreneurship in teaching, research, and in the way in which institutions are run, according to an African expert. Read more

 

31 August 2016

African Universities Are Lagging Behind As the World Moves On

To respond to this overwhelming imbalance, it has even been suggested that different criteria be used rank African universities. Read more

Countries Share Common Higher Education Challenges

Regardless of geographical distances, political agendas and student bodies, countries in Africa faced similar challenges in respect of massification, quality, funding, leadership and internationalisation of higher education. Read more

How to Fund Africa’s Higher Education?

What is the future of higher education funding in Africa? This was the question asked by SciDev.Net at a recent online debate (28 July). Read more

New Curricula for Land Governance Challenges

Guidelines for the development of curricula on land governance are being drafted to assist institutions of higher learning to develop education and training programmes that will equip graduates with the skills needed to address Africa’s land governance challenges. Read more

Push for More Women in Higher Education

African universities must work cohesively to build the continent’s human capital, specifically in mathematics, science, physics and health sciences, while also realising that more women must be included in higher education. Read more

Will the New African Passport Improve Academic Mobility?

The African Union Commission has launched an African passport, signaling open, visa-free access to all 54 of the continent’s member nations. However, if this free passage is to benefit higher education and science, it must be accompanied by harmonised qualifications, greater bureaucratic efficiency and infrastructure to support academic mobility, experts say. Read more

 

31 July 2016

Africa Must Bridge Capacity Gaps to Deliver AU’s Agenda 2063

There is need to invest heavily in capacity building in managing critical areas such as taxation, rural agriculture, education, leadership and science and technology if Africa is to successfully implement its development plan known as Agenda 2063. Read more

African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) appoints first SG

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, has been appointed to drive a collaborative initiative formed by research-intensive universities in Africa to strengthen research and postgraduate training on the continent. Read more

East Africa Credit Transfers to Come On Line Next Year

Ministers of education have agreed on a draft declaration for implementation of a harmonised higher education system for the East African Community or EAC. Read more

Ranking African Universities: Hypocrisy, Impunity and Complicity

When Times Higher Education ventured into Africa in 2015, just months after the high-profile African Higher Education Summit in Dakar, Senegal, it boasted that it was “moving Africa’s universities forward and building a shared global legacy”. Another ranking organisation, QS, has also started an African ranking system. Read more

 

15 July 2016

African Research Must Be Spearheaded By Africans-Experts

With statistics showing a less than 1% growth in research in the last decade, public health experts meeting on Child Behavioural Health in Sub-Saharan Africa in Kampala are calling on African researchers to take the lead in investigating social problems. Read more

African Universities Need Strategic Alliances

A well-coordinated partnership among African universities and research institutions is crucial for building institutional capacities for socio-economic development. Read more

Africa-Turkey Higher Education Partnerships Unveiled

Africa and Turkey have unveiled a higher education cooperation plan that includes setting up a joint university, networking among Turkish and African universities and enhancing student and academic mobility. Read more

Global Academic Collaboration in Africa: A New Form of Colonisation?

Higher education in Africa is as old as the pyramids in Egypt, but the continent’s ancient institutions have long disappeared. Read more

How African Institutions Can Improve Globally

The time has come for “African universities to create global academy of commons – a global community of scholars, who although responsive to the local and national needs of our society. Read more

Intercontinental Higher Education Consortium Launched

An international consortium of elite higher education institutions has been launched in Fes, Morocco, dedicated to “promoting education, culture, research, entrepreneurship and innovation on an intercontinental scale”. Read more

Invest In Universities – Mutharika Tells Africa

President Peter Mutharika of Malawi has told African countries to invest in universities if they are to develop economically, he made the remarks in Ethiopia after receiving an honorary degree from Addis Ababa University. Read more

Investing In the Future of African Women Farmers

When I thought about farming, I realised that there was a need for labour-saving technologies and improved policies around access to land and resources to assist women in particular to increase their yields. Read more

USC Training Launches a New Era of Air Pollution Health Research in Eastern Africa

Lead investigators from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda collaborate with USC and Addis Ababa University to establish a Global Environmental and Occupational Health Hub. Read more

 

30 June 2016

24 Centres of Excellence for East and Southern Africa

The World Bank Group’s board of executive directors has approved a US$140 million credit for eight Eastern and Southern African countries to set up 24 centres of excellence in universities to strengthen postgraduate training and research in priority sectors. Read more

Growing a Generation of Mathematicians in Africa

Mathematics is “vital” for achieving a thriving science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, workforce in Africa, according to experts. Read more

Pilot Study Fills Data Gaps for Regional STEM Project

Benchmarking as a tool for improving quality in African universities was the focus of the first regional benchmarking and capacity building workshop. Read more

Racism Against Africans Is a Reality to be Countered

The brutal murder of a young Congolese man, has blown the lid off a simmering pot of resentment against the treatment of African migrants in India, especially the large student community. Read more

Southern Africa Stabilising the Higher Education Sector

Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students. Read more

Too Few PhDs in Africa Limit Contribution to Policy Making On Climate Change

Climate change debates in the developing world’s universities are different. Only a handful of African universities have endowment funds, and even those are extremely modest by international standards. Read more

Top Universities in Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria Are Coming Up As Preferred Abroad Study Options

In the run up to the college education after finishing the primary schooling, students seek the higher degree courses. Read more

Unisa and NEPAD Collaborate To Skill Nurses and Midwives of Africa

Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor officially handed over a research evaluation report of the first phase of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Project on Nursing and Midwifery Education in Africa. Read more

 

15 June 2016

Africa ‘Needs Skills Revolution’

Gauteng should open a mining academy to help Africans take charge of their own resources. Read more

African Union Issues US$9 Million Research Grant Call

The second phase of the African Union Research Grants has been launched with a call for proposals for research into food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture. US$9 million will be allocated for research this year, and more next year under the US$20 million initiative supported by the European Union. Read more

French Forge University Governance, Research Partnerships

The global French-speaking universities’ association, Agence universitaire de la Francophonie or AUF, has forged new partnerships that will boost higher education in Africa. Read more

Iconic University Celebrates 100 Years Amid Challenges

Former South African president Nelson Mandela wrote in his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom that for young black South Africans like himself, the University of Fort Hare was “Oxford and Cambridge, Harvard and Yale, all rolled into one”. Read more

Leaders Call for Improved University Governance, Quality

University leaders, higher education policy-makers and experts from the Middle East and North Africa, or MENA, have called for stronger measures to improve university governance and teaching quality, in order to increase the competitiveness and employability of graduates. Read more

Where is the ‘African’ in African Studies?

We need to put the ‘African’ in African Studies, not as a token gesture, but as an affirmation that Africans have always produced knowledge about their continent. Read more

Top Business Schools in Africa

With Africa increasingly attracting investors and progressively becoming a business hub, it’s clear that the continent is ripe with opportunities. No one understands this better than the countless African entrepreneurs starting small businesses everyday, playing their role in transforming the economic narrative of the continent. Read more

World Bank Shifts Thinking on African University Funding

A “paradigm shift” is needed in African university funding, says World Bank education specialist Olatunde Adekola. In this film, he argues that funding should be linked to results. Read more

 

15 May 2016

Africa Science Leadership Programme: Second Round of Success

As the challenges we face in the world, and especially in Africa, become more complex, a different style of science leadership is required. Read more

Africa’s Varsities Must Compete Globally

No fewer than 800 leaders from around the world attended the opening of Going Global 2016, taking place in Africa and said Africa must become a producer of globally respected knowledge. Read more

African Universities Urged to Utilize Online Interactions

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana has challenged African Universities to explore innovative ways of engaging students through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in order to stay competitive and relevant in the light of globalization. Read more

Africa Needs ‘Innovation Universities’ to Develop

Africa must create ‘innovation universities’ if it is to achieve economic transformation, sustainable development and inclusive growth. Read more

CAMES Ministers Agree To Harmonise University Curricula

Ministers from CAMES, the Conseil africain et malgache pour l’enseignement supérieur – African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education – which represents 19 Francophone African states, have agreed on measures to develop higher education. Read more

Campus Helps Community to Bridge the Digital Divide

With all the excitement about the role of technology in contributing to social change and improved development outcomes across Africa, it is easy to forget that only 7% of the continent´s inhabitants are online. Read more

Consensus, Contradictions in African Higher Education

The fundamental issue of whether Africa’s future lies in manufacturing beneficiation or the knowledge economy will be key to deciding what kind of higher education system must be built. Read more

Ghana’s Vice-President Calls for Move from Liberal Arts

Universities across Africa must move away from liberal arts courses in order to make higher education relevant and ensure the continent is not left behind in today’s technological world. Read more

Grooming Leaders to Change a Continent

We aim to develop the future Nelson Mandela, the next Wangari Maathai, and the African Bill Gates. Read more

French Connections Boost HE for Leaders and Employment

The continental African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development, or CAFRAD, and France’s elite HEC business school have signed an agreement to train leaders and high-level officials. Read more

How Political Interference Keeps Hurting Universities

Political interference in Africa’s universities is not new. Universities’ governance was seen as ‘captured’ for narrow political rather than academic ends during the 1980s and 1990s.  Read more

Pan-Africans Versus Afropolitans – An Identity Crisis?

Is a crisis of identity emerging among African academics in the diaspora as to whether they are an offshoot of Pan-Africanism or a breed of emigrant elites, the Afropolitans? Read more

Rising Africa Must Harness Knowledge, Science for Growth

Africa must respond to the education, knowledge and communications revolutions and mobilise knowledge and science not just for sustainable development but as major drivers of growth.  Read more

Universities Seek United Front in Open Access Debate

Both a unified front and a paradigm shift around access to knowledge were needed in order to deal with rising journal costs and exclusionary copyright provisions imposed by the mainstream academic publishing industry, a Leadership Dialogue on open access and African research publishing heard. Read more

 

30 April 2016

Challenges to Doctoral Education in Africa

Research is one of the three major pillars of higher education. For a university to progress and to address the needs and challenges of the knowledge industry, academics must constantly be engaged in research. Read more

Higher Education – Ethics in Action the Value of Values across Sectors

The Global Ethics Forum (GEF) is a global, solution-focused and multi-stakeholder annual event, organised by Globethics.net. The aim in 2016 is to promote values-driven leadership in the higher education sector, through inspiration, discussion and action during the Forum as well as through the creation of working groups on identified projects. Read more

How an Africa-Wide Science Funding Gap Can Be Closed

The idea that Africa’s development depends critically on science, technology and innovation is embodied in the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Read more

PhD Fellowships for Sub-Saharan Africa Women Scientists

The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, or OWSD, is offering postgraduate training fellowships for women scientists from Sub-Saharan Africa and least developed countries, to pursue postgraduate research in the natural sciences. Read more

Researchers Call for More Open Access to Knowledge

Researchers from across the continent and beyond have called for governments and universities to introduce policies to guarantee open access to scientific knowledge in Africa. Read more

Universities Need New Funding Models and African Donors

Faced with donor fatigue and declining public funding, universities across Sub-Saharan Africa should search for new models of financing specific initiatives such as hubs for research and innovation. Read more

What Chinese Investment Means for African Higher Education

There is no doubt that China means business in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more

 

15 April 2016

African Govts Must Promote Women In Engineering

African governments need to come up with new strategies and programmes to improve and broaden the participation of women in engineering to help the continent attain its post-2015 development agenda. Read more

African Higher Education Development – Competing Visions

Given the knowledge economy’s thirst for skills, the societal benefits and global policy frameworks that support higher education funding, were left wondering why higher education received so little support. Read more

Africa Must Learn Higher Education Lessons From India

Africa’s tertiary education and research sector is not ready for global competitiveness and innovation as only 4% of new innovations on the continent are based on research and development. Read more

Ambitious Plans for New African Leadership University

The African Leadership University, launched in Mauritius last month with the aim of training Africa’s future leaders, has huge ambitions. Read more

Are African Universities Ready for Diaspora Academics?

Members of the academic diaspora are dependable ambassadors for universities in Africa in the face of the unstoppable onslaughts of economic globalisation and higher education internationalisation. Read more

Call for Africa to Focus on Sciences

African think tanks say they want to ensure that all countries on the continent focus on sciences and engineering studies by 2063 in order to steer industrial development. Read more

Kenya and South Africa in Joint Research Call

The governments of Kenya and South Africa have invited applications for joint research from scholars in the two countries. Read more

Online Medium Takes Tertiary Education to Africa

While only half of Africa’s children attend primary school, a paltry 10 of those who go to school enter into university programs. Read more

 

1 April 2016

AAU Hosts Social Media Seminar in Accra

The Secretary General said the survey revealed that ‘Social Media Usage for Impact’ by Higher Educational Institutions in most African countries was still at its infancy. Read more

Africa’s Slow Journey to Becoming A Global Science Hub

Before Africa can achieve its full potential it must overcome the barriers holding it back, particularly dismal investment in research and development and limited access to higher education. Read more

Africa Needs Confident Scientists in Global Partnerships

University of Cambridge Vice-chancellor  says Africa needs scientists who are confident and able to harness the power of global partnerships and forge closer collaboration with policy-makers and the private sector. Read more

African Scientists Say More Needed to Keep Brightest at Home

Researchers at the cutting edge of international vaccine and public health research told AFP at the first gathering of the ambitious “Next Einstein Forum” for Africa that their academic success stories remained exceptional — though the landscape is changing. Read more

Innovation in the Absence of Private Partners

African universities are facing a whole new set of challenges while they are still getting to grips with the old ones. Read more

Presidents Pledge More Science Money, Less Gender Bias

African heads of state attending the Next Einstein Forum’s Global Gathering 2016 in Senegal pledged to improve science funding and promote the enrolment and retention of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields. Read more

 

15 March 2016

Centres of Excellence in Electricity Network Launched

The African Development Bank has provided a €9.7 million (US$10.8 million) grant for the new African Network of Centres of Excellence in Electricity, or ANCEE. Centres have been selected in four African countries and will train some 9,700 power professionals. Read more

China to Expand Skills Programme to Africa

Keen to strengthen relation with Africa, China will over the next three years train 200,000 African professionals in skill-based fields. Read more

Huge Gap Between Academics’ Real and Scholarly Selves

African scholarship on Africa is operating at only a fraction of its true potential. It is hampered by the preferences, policies and politics of the Western academy. Read more

Innovators Set Grand Challenges Africa Research Agenda

African higher education must increase its interaction with the informal sector if it is to drive the continent’s innovation agenda and respond to development challenges. Read more

New Research and Exchange Initiatives to Boost Science

A flurry of initiatives ended last week’s Next Einstein Forum Global Gathering 2016 in Senegal. Read more

 

29 February 2016

Continental University Hub Seeks Academics Across Africa

The Pan African University’s Institute of Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation or PAUSTI, based in Kenya, is seeking to boost its faculty by recruiting up to 32 short-term lecturers from across the continent to teach for periods ranging from four to 16 weeks. Read more

Dons Look to Rescue Higher Education

African university heads have recommended that institutions of higher learning adopt modern corporate business models to survive. Read more

 

15 February 2016

Four African countries rated in innovation studies

A new study has ranked South Africa and Kenya at 30 and 51 out of 56 countries for worldwide innovation influence. Read more

Green’ University Networks Being Developed in Africa

Africa has been late to join the ‘green’ universities movement – only five institutions on the continent are among more than 400 participating in a global ranking of universities that practice environmentally friendly policies to help combat climate change. Read more

Key Role for Universities in African Education Strategy

There is a strong call for strengthening universities and research in the new Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2016-2025 Read more

Pan African University Gender Desks to Tackle Inequity

The Pan African University, or PAU, is to establish gender desks with permanent staff in all of its four operational institutes to address an acute problem of gender disparity in enrolments. Read more

Second Group of 29 Young Climate Researchers Selected

Twenty-nine early career scientists from 24 African universities and research institutes have been awarded fellowships to study the impacts of climate change on the continent. Read more

Why Africa Can’t Afford To Have an Outbreak Of The Zika Virus

If the latest mosquito-borne Zika virus breaks out in Africa the continent would be less prepared than any other to deal with the outbreak. Read more

 

January 2016

Eight Countries to Get 23 Centres of Research Excellence

Twenty-three proposals from eight countries have been conditionally selected for the World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence Project – ACE II. Read more

Flagship Universities – Enrolment, Typology, Graduates

Africa has the lowest higher education enrolment rates in the world. But in the last decade, virtually all higher education systems on the continent have recorded massive growth. Read more

Global Gathering of Top Minds to Boost Science in Africa

A first global gathering of top scientists to be held on African soil, aimed at advancing African science and innovation and showcasing scientific progress on the continent, is being held by the Next Einstein Forum in the Senegalese capital Dakar in March. Read more

Governance Models and Leadership Quality In Universities

Governance models in African higher education have evolved over the decades, but their impact on university leadership appears not to have been highly significant. Read more

IAU Members Received Africa Faculty Support Grants from the Talloires Network

Professors from IAU Member Institutions won University Education for Transformative Leadership in Africa Faculty Support Grants from the Talloires Network. Read more

New African Higher Education Harmonisation Initiative

Consortium members of a new three-year Harmonisation of African Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation, or HAQAA, initiative met in Brussels this month and outlined activities for the first year of the European Union-backed operation. Read more

 

December 2015

African Flagship Universities: Enrollment Typology and Graduate Projections

Africa has the lowest higher education enrolment rates in the world. But in the last decade, virtually all African higher education systems have recorded massive growth. Read more

Africa To Thrive, Its Scholars And Scientists Must Also Thrive

After a decade of progress, Africa is experiencing a narrative of optimism. But, maintaining that progress largely depends on the success of the continent’s institutions of higher learning. Read more

China-Africa – Reviewing Higher Education’s Gains

An increasing focus on higher education and skills training was highlighted at the second summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in South Africa this month. Read more

China Ups Africa Support with Training, Scholarships

Chinese President announced 10 major plans to boost cooperation with Africa in the next three years, including 40,000 training opportunities in China and 30,000 government scholarships. Read more

Doctoral Education in South Africa

In Africa and around the world, the importance of the doctorate has risen in inverse proportion to the share of college graduates pursuing PhDs. Read more

Pan-African Standard to Manage Research Funds Planned

A new body started this year with the ambition to raise the quality and quantity of Africa’s research output, the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa or AESA, is launching a new initiative to develop continental standards and transparency in managing donor research funds in universities, research institutions and governments. Read more

STEM Research in Sub-Sahara Declining

Research in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields in Sub-Saharan Africa has declined in the last 10 years in quantity and citation impact – but there has been steady progress in other sciences, especially health. Read more

 

November 2015

African Union Merges Science and Education Bodies The Africa Union has merged its science and education bodies in a move designed to improve sectoral relationships, effectiveness and efficiency. Read more

Developmental Universities – The Debate Continues A developmental university may be conceptualised as one with an expanded horizon that fosters collaboration with multiple external institutions, agencies and stakeholders in its role as a generator and disseminator of knowledge for national development purposes. Read more

East African Science and Technology Commission Launched The East African Science and Technology Commission, or EASTECO, has been officially launched in the Rwandan capital Kigali with the aim of promoting and coordinating the development of science and technology in the region. Read more

New Action Plan Recommends Boosting HE Cooperation As part of efforts to advance legal migration and mobility, an action plan adopted at the recent European Union-Africa Valletta Summit on Migration recommends boosting higher education cooperation, including promoting the mobility of students and researchers. Read more

Second Call for Centre of Excellence in Oil and Gas The World Bank and Inter-University Council for East Africa have jointly issued a repeat, special call for proposals to establish an Africa Centre of Excellence in the field of oil and gas for the Eastern and Southern Africa regions. Read more

Under-Funded and ‘Ethnic’ Expansion Threatens HE Quality Attempts to revitalise African higher education are being eroded because of under-funding, competing forces that try to influence who goes to university and what they should be taught, and the rise of ethnically-based institutions, according to experts. Read more

Village Universities’ Expand Access, But Lower Quality The late Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere’s view of the university as a place where people’s minds are trained for independent thinking and problem solving at the highest level remained unchallenged for half a century in East Africa. Read more

Young Africa Works Summit – Learning From Students The MasterCard Foundation hosted its inaugural Young Africa Works Summit 2015 in Cape Town, South Africa. Read more

 

September 2015