Higher Education

Today African higher education is still mainly university-based and state supported, and responsible for developing high caliber human capital. During the 1950s and 1960s, African higher education institutions built a solid reputation comparable to the best around the world

Admission requirements and procedures were rigorous and their graduates were recruited into top positions in government and industry. High standards were reflected not only in the quality of academic life, but also with regard to the level of remuneration of faculty and staff, the quality of facilities afforded both students and faculty and the prestige they enjoyed in their various countries. Higher education received adequate resources to deliver quality education and to maintain high academic standards

However, with the economic crisis of the 1980s and implementation of structural adjustment policies – which gave priority to basic education resources to higher education dwindled, resulting in a deterioration of the quality of tertiary and post graduate educational services. Similarly, the withdrawal of donors from higher education led to a further deterioration of the quality of outputs.

African higher education is mainly university-based and state supported, and responsible for developing high caliber human capital. During the 1950s and 1960s, African higher education institutions built a solid reputation comparable to the best around the world. (African Development Bank Report 2008

However, with the economic crisis of the 1980s and implementation of structural adjustment policies – which gave priority to basic education resources to higher education dwindled, resulting in a deterioration of the quality of tertiary and post graduate educational services. Similarly, the withdrawal of donors from higher education led to a further deterioration of the quality of outputs.

In the area of science and technology, disparities between Africa and developed countries in capacity are acute, and differences in economic growth due to the distribution, use, adoption, adaptation and generation of knowledge are widening.

Furthermore, the role of governments in enabling science and technology-led growth has changed from that of facilitator of technology development toward that of “innovation system catalyst”, which entails a host of policy-setting, funding, and regulatory roles. Last, the actors are more diverse and inter-connected with university-industry collaboration and public-private partnerships characterizing a growing segment of the innovation landscape.