Abstract
Recent decades have witnessed a changing landscape in African higher education (HE). Major reforms have spawned drastic changes in student enrolment, revenue diversification, external quality assurance mechanisms and governance structures. At the regional level, the African Union (AU) set out the goal of “complete revitalization of higher education in Africa” for the period 2006 to 2015. We examine the role of the African University and interrogate the AU’s goal of “complete revitalization” to see whether it has implications on re-positioning African universities so that they can play important roles in the promotion of and respect for democracy and social justice. The African continent is confronted by social justice issues, including limited access to higher education, health facilities and food due to abject poverty.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abdi, A. A. (2005). African philosophies of education: Counter-colonial criticisms. In A. A. Abdi & A. Cleghorn (Eds.), Issues in African education: Sociological perspectives (pp. 25–41). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
United Nations Department of Public Information (2008). Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa: Recommendations of the MDG Africa Steering Group. Retrieved from http://www.mdgafrica.org/pdf/MDG%20Africa%20Steering%20Group%20Recommendations%20-%20English%20-%20HighRes.pdf
African Union. (2006). Second decade of education for Africa (2006–2015): Plan of action. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/FIELD/Dakar/pdf/AU%20SECOND%20DECADE%20ON%20EDUCTAION%202006-2015.pdf
African Union. (2015). Retrieved from http://agenda2063.au.int/en/about
Bloom, D., Canning, D. & Chan, K. (2006). Higher education development in Africa. Retrieved from http://ent.arp.harvard.edu/AfricaHigherEducation/Reports/BloomAndCanning.pdf
Dictatorship Fans Corruption Which Spawns Poverty. (2013). Africa News Service. Retrieved from http://www.thestandard.co.zw/2013/04/28/dictatorship-fans-corruption-which-spawns-poverty/
Dlamini-Zuma, N. (2014, May 26). African Union agenda 2063: Taking Africa forward. The Herald. Retrieved from http://www.herald.co.zw/african-union-agenda-2063-taking-africa-forward/
Harber, C. (2002). Education, democracy and poverty reduction in Africa. Comparative Education, 38(3), 267–276. doi:10.1080/0305006022000014133.
Higher Education South Africa (HESA). (2014). South African higher education in the 20th year of democracy: Context, achievements and key challenges. HESA.
Hornsby, D. J., & Osman, R. (2014). Massification in higher education: Large classes and student learning. Higher Education, 67, 711–719.
Kariwo, M. T. (2007). Widening access in higher education in Zimbabwe. Higher Education Policy, 20(1), 45–59.
Kamba, W. (1985). University of Zimbabwe five year report 1981–1985. Harare
Kigotho, W. (2014, May 30). Governments frustrate knowledge vision—African Union. University World News. Retrieved from http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20140529183419261
Larner, W. (2006). Neoliberalism: Policy, ideology, governmentality. In M. de Goede (Ed.), International political economy and poststructural politics (pp. 199–218). Houndsmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Luescher-Mamashela, T. (2011). The university in Africa and democratic citizenship: Hothouse or training ground? Report on student surveys conducted at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, the University of Cape town, South Africa and the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Wynberg: CHET.
Maldonado-Torres, N. (2007). On the coloniality of being. Cultural Studies, 21(2–3), 240–270.
Mazrui, A. A. (2003). Toward Africanizing African universities: Who killed intellectualism in the post-colonial era? Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations, 2(3 & 4), 135–163.
Missing Nigeria School Girls. (2014). NBC News. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/missing-nigeria-schoolgirls
Mkosi, N. (2005). Surveying indigenous knowledge, the curriculum and development in Africa: A critical African viewpoint. In A. A. Abdi & A. Cleghorn (Eds.), Issues in African education: Sociological perspectives (pp. 85–99). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Mohamedbhai, G. (2014, January 10). Major higher education reforms to continue in 2014. University World News. Retrieved from http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20140109094346805
Mouton, J. (2007). Science and technology: A baseline study on science and technology and higher education in the SADC region. SARUA, WITS, South Africa. Retrieved from http://www.sarua.org/files/publications/ST_Introduction.pdf
Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S. J. (2013). Empire, coloniality and African subjectivity. New York: Berghahn.
Nkurumah, K. (1965). Neo colonialism: The last stage of imperialism. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
Nkurumah, K. (1967) African socialism revisited. Retrieved from https://www.marxists.org/subject/africa/nkrumah/1967/african-socialism-revisited.htm
Nyerere, J. K. (1963). “Inauguration of the University of East Africa” in Nyerere Freedom and Unity (Uhuru na Umoja): A selection from writings and speeches, 1950–65 (pp. 218–221). Dar es Salaam: Oxford University Press.
Nyerere, J.K. (1967). Education for self reliance, Dar-es- Salaam. Govt printer
Nyirenda, M. (2015). Towards a common future: Southern African development community. Retrieved September 3, 2015 from http://www.sadc.int/news-events/news/poor-rains-20142015-season-affect-food-security-sadc-region/
Okeke-Ihejirika, P. (2005). Achieving gender equity in Africa’s institutions of education: Beyond access and representation. In A. A. Abdi & A. Cleghorn (Eds.), Issues in African education: Sociological perspectives (pp. 159–174). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Obamba, M. O. (2013). Uncommon knowledge: World Bank policy and the unmaking of the knowledge economy in Africa. Higher Education Policy, 26, 83–108.
Sawyer, A. (2004). Challenges facing African universities: Selected issues. African Studies Review, 47(1), 1–59.
Shizha, E., & Kariwo, M. (2011). Education and development in Zimbabwe: A Social political and economic analysis. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
The United Republic of Tanzania (n.d.). The Tanzania Development Vision 2025. Retrieved from http://www.tzonline.org/pdf/theTanzaniadevelopmentvision.pdf
Trow, M. (1973). Problems in the transition from elite to mass higher education. Berkeley, CA: Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.
UN Secretary General. (2014). The road to dignity by 2030: Ending poverty, transforming all lives and protecting the planet: A synthesis report A/69/700. Retrieved December 4, 2014 from http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/69/700
UNICEF. (2015). Retrieved on January 5, 2015 from http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/post-2015-consensus?gclid=CJKhrtKW_sICFYhbfgodbyIA1w
UNESCO Institute of Statistics. (2014). Data centre. Retrieved from http://data.uis.unesco.org/
Wilson-Strydom, M., & Fongwa, S. N. (2012). A profile of higher education in Africa: Vol. 1. A regional perspective. Johannesburg: SARUA.
World Bank (2002). Constructing knowledge societies. New challenges for tertiary education. Washington, DC: World Bank.
World Bank (2008). Accelerating catch-up: Tertiary education for growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Washington, DC: World Bank.
World Bank. (2014). Government expenditure per student, Tertiary. Washington DC. Retrieved on 5 January http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TERT.PC.ZS
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2016 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Akalu, G.A., Kariwo, M. (2016). A Critical Analysis of the Role of African Universities in Democracy and Social Justice. In: Shultz, L., Viczko, M. (eds) Assembling and Governing the Higher Education Institution. Palgrave Studies in Global Citizenship Education and Democracy. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52261-0_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52261-0_15
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-52260-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-52261-0
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)