RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGHER
EDUCATION IN AFRICA
Alice Sena Lamptey
Coordinator, ADEA-WGHE
Higher Education Technical Advisor
Project Management Unit (PMU)
Pan African University (PAU)
African Union Commission (AUC)
Addis Ababa – Ethiopia
OUTLINE
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TWO MAJOR (2) LANDMARKS
-2006 Continental Policy Framework
-UNESCO 2009 World Conference on H E
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HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF AHE
KEY CONCERNS OF STAKEHOLDERS
AU PRIORITY HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS
-Arusha Convention
-Pan African University
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CONCLUDING REMARKS
A BITABOUT ADEA
POLICY FRAMEWORK
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The African Union’s Vision for the continent:
Peaceful prosperous integrated Africa……..
2006 COMEDAF adopted a 2nd Decade of
Education for Africa, with a Plan of Action (PoA)
Higher education one of 8 priorities and 4
thematic areas of focus under H E:
- Research and knowledge production
- Quality assurance
- Role and contribution of H E to improving other levels of
education
- Financing
HISTORY (1)
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Africa once was the cradle of civilization
(Al Ahzar Univ. in Cairo 1st Century; Karawyyin Fez – 1st
Century; Univ. of Timbuktu 13th Century; Fourah Bay
College )
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1950 and 60s African H E institutions had
solid reputation as centers of excellence
comparable to the best globally
1980s economic crisis, structural
adjustment policies and misguidance of the
WB gave priority to basic education
HISTORY (2)
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Resources dwindled, resulting in deterioration in
quality in all its forms
1990–2000 saw series of institutional reforms
2006 revitalization begun with political strong
leadership from the AU with support from
partners including ADEA and UNESCO
2009 WCHE+10 set specific goals and targets
2011 Mid-term evaluation of 2nd Decade PoA
2012 call for a paradigm shift for Africa to
focus on science technology and innovation, youth
empowerment, entrepreneurial skills for self
employment and public-private-partnerships (PPP)
CHARACTERISTICS (1)
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Disparate systems from colonial heritage
(Anglophone, Francophone, Lusophone, Arab-Europe)
Mostly university-based
Mostly state-funded
Expanding non-university sub-sector
Rapidly expanding private sector and offshore providers
Massive increases in access yet gross
enrolment ratio estimated at a mere 7%
compared to world average of 25%
Low students’ participation
CHARACTERISTICS (2)
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Lack of differentiation and
opportunities for life-long learning
Weak linkage with productive sector
Mismatch between graduate outputs
and labor market needs
Graduates lack entrepreneurial skills
Weak public-private-partnership
(PPP)
Questions of quality and global
competitiveness
Key CONCERNS (1)
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Africa’s contribution to global research
turnover 1.1% in 2010
Africa has the lowest number of patents
globally, and Nobel Prize awards
Lowest female representation particularly
in Science and Technology and maths
An acute shortage of high-caliber and
research-strong academics largely due to
brain drain and brain circulation
KEY CONCERNS (2)
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Not enough countries have or are
implementing STI policies and plans
Questions of curriculum relevance
Outmoded training approaches
Africa’s youth bonus forms 40% of
working population out of which 60% are
unemployed, under-employed or
unemployable and this is a time bomb if
countries don’t take urgent steps !!
POSITIVE TRENDS
 Increasing awareness that knowledge, not
natural resources, is key to the
continent’s development
 Increasing appreciation of the role and
contribution of H E to improving quality
at lower levels of education
 The gap between policy and financing is
closing fast in some countries (Mauritius,
Nigeria, Rwanda, Ghana, Tunisia etc)
 Increasing efforts aimed at continental
harmonization (the LMD reforms) to enhance
academic mobility within the continent
POSITIVE TRENDS
 Increasing stakeholders’ demand for
relevance, quality and value for money
(governments, students/parents,
employers)
 Growing awareness of the impact of
internationalization & the need to be
globally competitive
 Increasing political leadership by the
African Union
 Growing national continental and
international partnerships and drive to
ensure synergy
AU’s FLAGSHIP PROGRAMS
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The Pan African University (PAU)
African Quality Rating (AQRM)
Strategy for harmonisation, academic
mobility and regional integration
Mwalimu Nyerere and Africa-India
Scholarship Programs
Strategy for Teacher’s Professional
Development and Teacher Mobility
Science Research Grants and Awards
ARUSHA CONVENTION (1)
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Africa’s Regional Convention for Recognition of
Studies, Certification, Diplomas, Degrees and
other Academic Qualification in Higher Education
Africa
To support the comparability and recognition of
HE of programs and qualifications; facilitate
mobility of academic staff and students within
Africa; reinforce solidarity and integration
among the State Parties; contribute to
UNESCO’s efforts to promote international
academic mobility.
ARUSHA CONVENTION (2)
Introduced 5th December 1981in Arusha Tanzania, long
Before the Bologna Process, yet only 21 Countries out of
54 have ratified:
Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso,
Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial
Guinea, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea
Conakry, Lesotho, Niger, Nigeria,
Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles,
Sudan, Tanzania, The Holy See,
Togo, Zambia
ARUSHA CONVENTION (3)
(Challenges)
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Low awareness and commitment
Weak link between the 3 levels of
implementation (national, sub-regional and
continental)
Weak link between AU’s H E
Harmonization Strategy and other subregional and continental initiatives
Revision has lagged behind continental and
global higher education developments
ARUSHA CONVENTION
(Challenges)
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Degree of transparency and
credibility of State Parties’ criteria
and procedures of evaluation and
recognition of degrees is not robust
Fears of access of nationals
Linguistic issues
Quality concerns
Revision process been painfully slow
PAN AFRICA UNIVERSITY (PAU)
(Model)
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New generation of African university
Constituted on networking of five (5)
existing flagship institutions / hubs
The focus on thematic areas deemed
relevant to Africa’s development
Allocation was competitive and by
sub-region
Start date September 2012
PAN AFRICA UNIVERSITY (PAU)
(Thematic Focus and Hubs)
Basic Sciences Technology and Innovation
(at JKUAT Kenya in Eastern Africa)
Life and Earth Sciences
Ibadan Nigeria in West Africa)
(at University of
Governance,
Humanities
and
social
sciences (at Yaoundé Cameroon in Central Africa)
Water and Energy including Climate
Change (Algeria)
Space sciences not decided (Southern Africa)
PAN AFRICA UNIVERSITY (PAU)
(Justification)
Africa is under-served by world-class
universities focusing on post-graduate
training and advanced research and
innovation
PAU aims to mobilize the contribution of
Africa’s brightest and young including from
the Diaspora
As well as attract international experts
PAN AFRICA UNIVERSITY (PAU)
(Justification)
PAU aims to accelerate academic mobility
within Africa to foster regional
integration
PAU aims to bridge the acute gap
between the aging professoriate and next
generation of African academics
PAU aims, through promoting quality, to
promote Africa’s global competitiveness
PAN AFRICA UNIVERSITY (PAU)
(Mandate and Scope)
PAU will train Masters and Doctoral students, provide infrastructure
For world-class research and knowledge transfer to solve challenges:
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Each Institute will enroll 100 Masters and PhD
students
Each will network with up to 10 Satellite Centers
Host Country that commits to provide resources
Lead Thematic financial and tech. Partner (LTP)
The support of its Regional Economic Community
(REC) which is expected to play an active
financing role
PAN AFRICA UNIVERSITY (PAU)
(Technical and Financial Partners)
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African Union Member States
Regional Economic Communities (RECs)
European Union (Germany, Sweden, Spain? Finland?)
African Development Bank (AfDB)
ADEA (Technical)
UNESCO (Technical)
India
Japan (JICA)
China
Korea?
PAN AFRICA UNIVERSITY (PAU)
(Sustainability Concerns)
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Sustainable business model for PAU?
How to Interface PAU with existing continental
initiatives (2ie Burkina, Nelson Mandela Inst. AVU)
How to establish and maintain appropriate costeffective financial controls
How can appropriate technology transfer policies
be developed adopted/implemented costeffectively and successfully?
How a dispersed network of institutions can
cost-effectively share curricula, services and
resources while ensuring accountability
CONCLUDING REMARKS
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Africa is strengthening its higher education and
research space (AHERS)
ADEA is spearheading the AHERS initiative
with political leadership of African Union and
key partners
The focus is Science technology and innovation
and accelerated youth empowerment
The primary goals? increased access to
success, equity, quality, harmonized regional
integration HE research space
The destination? global competitiveness
THE EVIDENCE?
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February 2012 ADEA
http://www.adeanet.org/triennale/indexang.html
April 2012 STI Forum organized by major
funding partners AfDB, ADEA, UNESCO,
UNECA, Government of Kenya, concrete actions
April 2012 COMEDAF V reviewed progress of
implementation of 2nd Decade Action Plan and
made concrete recommendations for actions to
accelerate progress
AHERS Synthesis report and recommendations
presented at 2019 UNESCO WCHE+20
TRIENNIAL THEME
Promoting critical knowledge, skills
and qualifications for sustainable
development in Africa: How to
design and implement an effective
response by education and training
systems
“Tertiary Education is another area of
success for the Second Decade. There
are several continental, regional, and
member state initiatives that attest to
this. However, more support is required
from the continental level for helping
to finance initiatives”
Source: Page 32
Mid-Term Evaluation of 2nd Decade of Education for Africa
(Draft Report)
A BIT ABOUT ADEA
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ADEA is a network of partnerships and a forum
for policy dialogue on education development in
Africa.
Led by African Ministers of Education and their
Development Partners
Founded in 1988 in Paris as “Donors to African
Education” (DAE)
In 1995 became the Association for the
Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) with
African Ministers determining the agenda
Relocated in 2008 and hosted by AfDB in Tunis
A BIT ABOUT ADEA cont..
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ADEA’s Working Groups are its intellectual arms
for analytical work, advocacy, networking and
small-scale capacity building
WGEMPS, TP, ECD, COMED, BLMs, NFE,
Task Force on ICT and 3 ICQNs
WGHE seconded to AU to support PAU
implementation after WCHE+10
WGEMPS supports the African Education
Observatory
Currently developing new ADEA Vision and
Strategy
CONTACTS
Alice Sena Lamptey
ADEA-WGHE Coordinator
Higher Education Technical Advisor (PAU-PMU)
African Union Commission (AUC)
P. O. Box 3243 Addis Ababa - Ethiopia
Tel: + 251 115 526 373
Cell: +251 (0) 92 080 7232
Emails: a.lamptey@afdb.org
lampteya@africa-union.org
www.adeanet.org
www.pau.org