BUILDING REPUTABLE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IN AFRICA

Author

Dr. Callixte Yadufashije

Post doctoral degree in Public health

ABSTRACT

African universities met number of burdens and influence their low yield in terms of
performing locally and internationally. It was mentioned during SDGC/A conferences that
took place in Kigali 5th and 6th of July where its document clarified that only 10 universities of
Africa are ranked in first 1000 universities in world ranking. Most of difficulty issues that
African universities are facing are financial instability, qualified intellectuals, disorganization
of academic programs, materials and equipments, etc. Academic and research collaboration
may come as solution to build capacity of African universities. This partnership and
collaboration will lead to strong solidarity of sharing available resources. Research centers
and committees are responsible to provide important projects to benefit the university.
Multicultural innovation in African education is encouraged for innovations. Researches
leading to postdoctoral are encouraged in African universities strong innovation in academic
programs is encouraged.
INTRODUCTION

Tertiary education is leading factor of development in all areas in the world. Most of people do
not understand how tertiary education changes health of the globe but higher education have to
come as solution to existing problems in the society. In Africa, tertiary education seems
unperformed. Tertiary education is new in Africa and faced different challenges such us
colonization, finance, shortage of human resources, mindsets etc. Higher education in Africa is a
topic of importance to discuss in order to see possible ways for improvement and compete
internationally [2][8]

Level of performance in African universities is still unconsidered due to low strategies and
system of implementations from the root of foundation. Building competitive universities
requires much effort and big thinking; goals of establishing universities such private and public
have to be controlled by higher education institutions of each country in Africa. National
councils of higher education have to control the yield of universities in terms contributing to
social problems and provide strong guidelines for success. Direction of research and ministry of
education must be responsible in evaluating researches done in higher learning institution every
year of in 2 years [5].

Those researches may come from university professors or students. This will facilitate project
implementations as researches come as response to existing problems, recommendation have to
respect and can be done by means directorate of research and ministry of education. International
and local conferences on important issues are essential to mention ideas that bring innovation.
Benefits of tertiary education have to be understood by African intellectuals and political leaders
and they can act as agents of change for reputable universities establishment in Africa.
University establishment policies must be a guide and higher education directors are to
participate in supporting all pacifications in policies building and control how universities
respect it [3][6].

Development of Africa needs innovations and higher learning institutions have to contribute
more than other sectors, academic programs establishment should be thought basing on social
needs. This will prevent resource wastage and programs bring innovations as soon as possible.
Modality of teaching science and engineering have to change from theory to practice but practice
is urgently needed. Most of universities teach science and engineering courses, consequently
yield from practice is still rare which lead to poor performance in researches [1]

. Understanding of research in science and engineering is a challenge due to inaccessibility of

equipment and materials in Africa and partnership of Africa universities can facilitate this huge
challenge. Most of universities in Africa offer programs but benefits from those programs are not
seen, offering master of pharmacy for instance may change life of the country in terms of drug
manufacturing, student have to know not only drug composition but also manufacturing and
production, which allow our universities to send our students in Drug manufacturing industries
for practice. Partnership with these industries can facilitate cost and expenses and students will
come with enough knowledge to change the area of pharmacy [7]

. The same way to engineering fields. Fields of biomedical sciences are thought but it seems no
contributions from them, all discoveries done in medicine are from biomedical sciences,
biomedical sciences are areas like: microbiology, hematology, biotechnology, etc, they are
practical based courses and recent scientists have discovered through them, too much effort
should be done to improve the way of teaching these courses. Philosophical understanding in
science and engineering can be taught and should be based on practice and innovation. Each
practical course taught in sciences should be discussed in practical way not theoretically. Quality
laboratory practices should be reinforced, laboratory practice can be a difficult issue due to
shortage of laboratory equipment but collaboration of African university is a real solution to this
problem. This problem is explained in the document of the Sustainable development goal center
for Africa where it shows that among first top 1000 university Africa has only 10 universities,
and most of these 10 universities are from South Africa. This is a gap that we cannot stop filling.
Nothing can be done if African academicians, researchers, and political leaders do not sit
together to see how African universities can change ways of education.
 DIAGRAM SUMMARIZING STATEGIES AND MODEL OF BUIDING REPUTABLE
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IN AFRICA

Academics

Teaching: African universities need to create
interconnectivity of teaching programs as some university
programs in African universities are not competitive, for
Example offering masters in general nursing in Some African
universities, teaching strategies have to be evaluated through
university council of Africa. Teaching can be done through
distance, online and on campus to facilitate these
interconnections and to meet international standards.
Learning: learning is for students. All students have to be
admitted through evaluation of their previous studies. Some
African universities admit students illegally. Where a
student leaves arts to applied sciences which affects his
performance in his academic journey. Interconnections of
students can be created and help students seminars, and
debates across Africa. International debates for students
build their future confidence internationally

Students have to be trained early,

Research is important for university staff.
students research has to be supervised by
African universities have to build research
strategies that are common for African Research qualified supervisors and politics of
external evaluators can be increased
universities; this can be done through evaluation
between African universities. Inter
continental gap in research. African universities
university student seminars have to be
need to strength research in science and
increased within African universities.
technology for innovation. Researchers have to
Postgraduate students have to be invited
be trained on research can change a projects for
in conferences for as future
funding.
academicians.

Collaborations:
African universitie have to collaborate in term of sharing available resources. ,
they have to share staff, equipments, projects

Scholarships:

Scholarship can be given for both African and non African

students within African universities. Staff also can benefit
scholarship. African universities need to build postdoctoral
research scholarship as its results lead to strong innovations
Academics
Academics constitute teaching and learning within academic institutions. Academics has
different organs from deputy vice chancellor for academic affairs, there deans and there
secretaries which build faculty councils, heads of departments and their secretaries which build
department council together they become academic council under academic senate. This is a
short remind to academicians, there many academic organs depending on the university. A part
from these organs, teaching and learning are two principles important topic that we cannot
neglect, as are part of academics. In teaching and learning we need both teachers and students,
and must have all requirement needed in the academic program [4]

. Quality of academic programs have to be reinforces in African universities, a program of study

have to fill all requirement needed to give a student what he/she need within that program.
African universities unity and solidarity will lead to quality of academics through
interconnection of themselves and over the continent of Africa. Modernization of academic
programs in African universities, is needed for instance you can find someone who did
microbiology, you can ask yourself the kind of microbiology he did. Microbiology fields are
many there is marine microbiology, medical microbiology, environmental microbiology, etc
clarification is essential in most of African universities. We need a university council of Africa,
today we have inter university council of East Africa, but university council of Africa is too
much needed working like Higher education councils to evaluate academic programs taught in
African universities and making sure that they are meeting requirement within human
population. Some universities offer masters programs in general nursing in Africa and this
program has no international standards as international standards oblige to teach masters
programs in nursing with specializations. This like saying that you teach master of general
medicine. Students will be qualified due to organized academic program within the university
and how the university prepared requirements of academic program to be taught. Admission
requirements within academic program are step for applicant to be admitted. Some universities
can admit applicants illegally; you can admit someone who did languages in biological sciences
and lead to unqualified performance permanently. Most of students in Africa apply for academic
program basing what is on the market but academicians have to follow academic regulations to
admit them. Academicians and students have to create interconnections for conferences and
seminars as mentioned on the diagrams above. This will lead to international critical understand
in the field of study. Universities should understand online and distance learning mode as it
facilitates international connections.

Research scope and reputation

One of important element that makes university to compete internationally is research. Most of
academicians need to understand all concepts of research to develop their research centers within
the university. There are different factors that affect research quality in African universities and
institutions. Some of those factors are: lack of qualified researchers, instability of finance, low
involvement of government in research activities, and mindsets of researchers in Africa.
University researches is measured through number of publications, researchers within the
university can publish original research articles, review articles, letters, text books, book reviews
book chapters etc. researchers have to be trained to understand each step of what they want to
publish to make sure that they can benefit the university international competitions. Nothing can
be done if universities are not taking first step to organize them internally. Universities have to
build research strategies and see how to mention ways of implementations. Both academic and
financial departments have to put together to strength university research activities. African
researchers need to look far to help our continent. Projects of innovations have to be thought
through research centers of the university. Universities have to build strong research centers and
they have to assure that all research equipments are available. Fields of research can depend on
academic programs organized by the university. Improvement is needed in the field science and
engineering in African universities.
 Designed model to strength research in African universities

Internal organization within

universities

Creation of research committee or

research centers within the university
which is responsible for managing and
controlling all research activities
within the university.
Internal budget creation of
Creation of student
research activities such as basic
creativity and innovation
or applied research.
within universities

Government through ministries of

and direction of research within the
university

External research funders

Above diagram tends to explain how research can be strengthened within African universities.
Below all steps are explained.

Most of African universities meet with mismanagement of research activities and this is
measured through research quality and activities within the university. As indicated on the
diagram above, research can be done through research committees or research centers, this
committee have to control all research activities within the university. Those activities include
consultant activities, doing and sending research proposal for funders, projects, publications,
collaboration with research institution, providing strong research within student research
activities, seminars, scientific talks, conferences, research trainings, etc. each school, faculty or
department have to be represented as researches are different in academic fields. If we need to
conduct research that in engineering, we need specialties in the field of engineering. They have
to clarify how research can be done in the field of engineering. this research center have to find
ways of interacting with external society to discover common problems that people are facing so
that they do researches that are coming to solve problems within the society. Publications have to
pass through research committee to ensure their qualities, university need to have researchers
that are responsible to do research only, most of times university employees combine both
research and teaching activities and makes them tired and low performance of both academic and
research activities. It does matter to have them but few people in charges of research are
essentials in academic institutions and can be done through university research centers.

African universities need to have internal funds for research, all universities have budget, and
they need to take a part of research within university. You cannot always call funders even for
what we can do for our own; we need to show funders that we have already done some projects
so that we attract them and this can be done through research policy. Research policy need to be
done through research centers as most of funders ask for it before funding any institution.
Students are very active and are future researchers of Africa and the world, we have to build
association of creativity and innovation within students, and it is here where university can
harvest different ideas in research internally. It the base of projects that can benefit universities.
It will also lead to research quality of university graduates. Organization of competitions in
creativities and innovations has to be organized especially for postgraduate students and best
performers can be awarded to motivate others. This will be headed by director of research under
deputy vice chancellor for academic affairs but it depends on university some of universities
have deputy vice chancellor for research. Governments of have to be contacted to support
research activities with universities where possible. Some projects can be supported by
governments in different ways. Through university leadership, government has to be invited in
different activities of research where possible. We always assist our students while completing
their research activities and sometimes recommend government to some responsibilities but none
of government members available to follow research presentations. All this activities can obtain
funding opportunities through university organization and the government. University, through
research centers can collaborate with funders but also government can help universities to get
funds of their projects.
Collaborations

Collaboration in African universities various services within academic institutions. Universities

have to collaborate among themselves and also collaborate with non academic institutions like
Nongovernmental organizations as sometimes facilitate project funding. This collaboration
cannot only facilitate project funding but also academic programs as sharing available resources
improve quality of academic programs. Universities in their collaboration can create jointly
academic programs, research, and share human resources. Shortage of resource can be solved
through partnership and collaborations. Interconnection of students become simple with
collaborations and is a way to prepare future academicians.

Scholarship

In their academic and research improvement, African universities have to provide scholarship for
both local and international students as multicultural aspects creates innovation in research
fields. Research departments in higher learning institutions have to propose research based on
existing gap and announce scholarships for either doctoral or postdoctoral candidates. Creation
of research centers is urgently needed for African universities.
Acknowledgement

The idea of writing this article came after attending the conference on Mobilizing African
intellectuals towards quality of tertiary education organized by the Sustainable development goal
center for Africa, it is this reason that I address my gratitude thanks to SDGC/A for their effort
made while organizing this conference, and also providing invitation for us is highly appreciated.
We cannot forget effort made by ministry of education of Rwanda, its collaboration with
SDGC/A during the conference is for great value. Thanks for all participants, presenters and
chairs of panels for their scientific discussion during the conference. God bless you all.
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[7] Robert I. Lerman 2016 Can We Develop Enough Skills for a Robust Manufacturing
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