Several seminars organised as part of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund Spring Meeting programme focused on Higher Education in Africa, addressed both its role and the expectations placed on it, particularly in meeting current economic needs. Seminars on relevant subjects included:
- The Transformational Power of ICT in Africa;
- Making Higher Education Work for Africa's Competitiveness;
- Private-Public Partnerships: A Future for Africa; and
- Africa Can...Meet the Millennium Development Goals.
A feature article on the meeting can be found on the World Bank's site here.
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) 2010 Conference of Executive Heads, brought together representatives from 35 countries, and focused on the contribution of universities to the sustainable achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
It was acknowledged that universities were addressing international development issues long before the MDGs were developed. And still do, through high quality teaching, research that directly addresses the needs of society, community service and extension work that brings knowledge directly to the poorest groups. It was also agreed that universities can help to ensure that future development goals are sustainable and representative, by producing the skills, data and networks through which developing countries are able to express and address their own needs.
However, it was stated that the capacity of universities to achieve their potential has been seriously hampered by the failure of governments and international donors to recognise the value of their work. This continues through the lack of recognition of higher education in the current MDGs.
An in-depth article on the conference is available here.
The objective of the Additional Financing for the Third Education Project is to improve access to, and quality of education in undeserved communities in Gambia. The additional funding will also provide technical assistance to the newly founded Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST) to enhance its capacity to provide leadership towards relevant, sustainable and high quality higher education.
South Africa held its first higher education stakeholder summit in more than a decade, focusing on the transformation of universities. Government officials, university leaders and experts, academics and representatives of students and the private sector converged on Cape Peninsula University of Technology for two days of debate, to take stock of the sector 16 years after democracy, and to chart an agenda for the future.
All agreed that higher education had notched up significant achievements and the best in the system must be preserved, but also that much more transformation was needed - especially to tackle resource inequalities between universities.
Kenya's National Council for Science and Technology and the British Council, are to work together to expand the Africa Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme. The aim is to provide opportunities for businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of higher education knowledge, technology and expertise.
