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Regional

New Initiative to Spark African ‘Brain Gain’

In an attempt to attract professionals back home and reverse Africa’s brain drain, the Commonwealth Business Council has launched a new Internet initiative. The FindaJobinAfrica.com Web site and a series of job fairs put on by the council will showcase the opportunities that are available for business people in Africa.

Dr. Titi Lola Banjoko, chief executive of FindaJobinAfrica.com, said the loss of trained workers through emigration has been a gradual process, which started in the 1980s. Economics, politics and war have also played major roles.

Banjoko believes the situation is improving and that many professionals do now wish to return home.

— BBC News Online
Sept. 23, 2002

African Virtual University Launches Computer Degree

The African Virtual University (AVU) has introduced computer science as its first full degree program. The four-year course will be offered to students in different countries within sub-Saharan Africa, starting in January 2003.

The degree will be offered jointly by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology of Australia and the University of Dar-es-Salaam, in addition to eight partner institutions in Africa. A second degree in business administration, will be launched in June through Addis Ababa University and Curtin University of Australia.

The two Australian universities will develop a curriculum relevant to students in the continent and help the partner universities to deliver the courses through fast internet links to other learning centers in participating universities in sub-Saharan Africa.

AVU was founded in 1997, with its main focus being tertiary and continuing education. Its mission is to bridge the knowledge gap between Africa and the rest of the world by dramatically increasing access to global educational resources throughout Africa. Currently, there are four learning centers in each of 17 countries across Africa, where students come to register and attend synchronized classes.

— African Church Information Service
Oct. 14, 2002

Angola

New Tropical Farming Institute Planned

Graduate courses in tropical farming are expected to start in Southern Huila province in 2003. A school will be created with support from the Portuguese government as part of existing bilateral cooperation with Angola. Educators from both countries will teach at the new institute.

The project is a result of cooperation between Agostinho Neto University and Portugal’s Higher Institute of Farming.

— Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
Oct. 11, 2002

Public University to Expand

The Standing Commission of Angola’s Council of Ministers approved a program in November designed to expand Agostinho Neto University’s reach to all provinces in the nation

The government document states that varsity-level schools of science and technology will be established in a number of provinces. University poles dependent on university centers will be established where such centers are not feasible.

— Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
Nov. 15, 2002

Ghana

New Private University Opens

Asheshi University College was officially inaugurated recently with the admission of 33 students. The university, a private institution, is located in Accra and will offer two core programs: business administration and computer science.

As well as courses taught on campus the university also offers online courses that are taught by foreign academics.

— Accra Mail (Accra)
Oct. 10, 2002

Kenya

Catholic University Grows

The Catholic University of Eastern Africa will establish two more departments in 2003. The addition of the commerce and science faculties will double the number on campus.

— The Nation (Nairobi)
Oct. 5, 2002

Program Attracts Record Numbers

Kenyatta University (KU) has received 10,000 applications from adult learners who intend to pursue their diploma and degree courses under the newly introduced Open Learning program.

The new courses, administered by KU’s Directorate of Open Learning, are being delivered in modular form via distance learning.

KU is also planning a new campus in Nyeri, Central Province. The campus will offer all KU courses, ranging from bridge courses to doctorates. Courses will be taught through a combination of distance-learning methods and on-site lectures.

— The Nation (Nairobi)
Oct. 25, 2002

Month-Long Strike Ends

Students and teachers returned to class Oct. 22 after the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) struck a payment deal with the government, ending a one-month strike that halted learning in virtually every public school in the country.

The strike resulted from prolonged stalemates between government and teachers. Teachers claimed the government had reneged on its promise to deliver a 150 percent to 200 percent pay raise it awarded to teachers in 1997. The government, which declared the strike illegal, had only implemented part of the deal and said it had no more money to complete the program.

Kenya may well see more teachers strikes. While calling off the strike, KNUT Secretary-General Francis Ng’ang’a told teachers to resume work “for the sake of education and students.” The announcement followed the signing of a “return-to-work” formula, under which the government promised to implement the contentious pay raise with effect from July 1, 2003.

— East African Standard
September- October 2002

Liberia

Nursing Schools Shuttered

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has closed 18 nursing schools on the recommendation of the Liberia Nursing and Midwifery Board. The ministry stated that the institutions are operating illegally and in violation of the National Health Policy and the Public Health Law of Liberia.

The shuttered schools are: New Hope School of Health Sciences, Liberia College of Technology, Liberia National Red Cross First Aid, St. Martin’s College of Career Development, Soko Sackor Nurse Aide Association and Training Institute, Institute of Polytechnic Education, National Training Institute, Basic Skills Training Institute, National Institute of Professional Studies, Professional Institution of Medical Art, Teens Girls In-Development and Voluntary First Aid Association, Tarplah Institute of Medical Arts, West African University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Sharon J. Byrd School of Nurse Assistants, Jimmi E. International School of Vocation and Goja Inc. Mason Center School of Health.

— The News (Monrovia)
Nov. 14, 2002

Mozambique

Bill Would Restructure Higher Education

The Mozambique Parliament on Oct. 30 passed the first reading of a bill altering the country’s legislation on higher education. In 1993, when the existing law was passed, there were only three higher education institutions in the country, all of them publicly funded. Now, there are 10, half of them private.

In 1993, students in the public education system took, on average, seven years to complete the five-year licenciatura that is considered to be halfway between a bachelor’s and master’s degree. The framework for higher education under the new bill provides for an entirely new polytechnic sector, which initially will run programs lasting one or two years.

Universities will offer programs of three or more years in length. Implicit in the bill is a move away from five-year programs. It defines a licenciatura as a four-year program and a bachelor’s as a three-year program.

A new system of academic credits will be introduced that allows students to transfer credits earned from one institution to another. All courses will be granted credits that count toward the student’s final degree.

— Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
Oct. 30, 2002

Namibia

Country’s First Private University to Study AIDS

A department for the study of HIV and AIDS will be integrated into the International University of Management (IUM), Namibia’s first-ever private university. President Sam Nujoma officially launched the university in October 2002.

IUM Chairman David Namwandi said the institution wants to cater to half of all high school graduates who cannot be accommodated at existing higher education institutions. Of the annual 12,000 graduates, roughly 4,000 are admitted to the University of Namibia (Unam) and the Polytechnic of Namibia.

Namwandi said IUM is not in direct competition with Unam but complements the roles of other higher education institutions.

The school was registered in June 2001 and took over the former Institute of Higher Education.

— The Namibian
Oct. 29, 2002

Nigeria

Overseas Education Trend Spurs Assessment

The minister of education, Mr. Borishade, has expressed concern over the number of Nigerians traveling abroad to receive educational instruction, despite the abundance of educational opportunities and facilities at home.

Speaking at the inauguration of the reconstituted National Standing Committee for the Evaluation of Foreign Qualifications, he said, “The sensitive nature of the task of determining Nigerian equivalents to foreign qualifications presented by returnees from overseas has compelled the government to set up machinery for the assessment and evaluation of these qualifications.”

Two volumes of a register for foreign equivalencies have been published. According to the minister, the first volume contains information on the educational systems of West European countries and some francophone African countries, as well as American, Asian, East European and Middle Eastern countries. The second volume contains information on academic and professional qualifications from the United Kingdom, some African countries, Canada, Australia, Asia and the Far East.

— This Day (Lagos)
Oct. 17, 2002

Medical College to Receive Accreditation

The government has approved US$550,000 for the accreditation of all courses at Lagos State University College of Medicine.

According to the governor of Lagos state, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the medical college is to be equipped with medical equipment from Cook County Hospital in Chicago. Tinubu also spoke about the development of a department of malaria control at the college.

— Vanguard (Lagos)
Oct. 29, 2002

Borishade: Only JAMB Can Hold Admissions Exams

Professor Babalola Borishade, minister of education, said recently only the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) can conduct tests for admission into tertiary institutions. It is illegal for institutions to conduct their own tests.

He said until the bill seeking autonomy for the university system is passed into law and assented to by the president, any institution that acts to the contrary would be breaking the law.

— This Day (Lagos)
Oct. 22, 2002

Sierra Leone

Loan, Grant Project to Reform Nonformal Education

The African Development Bank (ADB) has approved the financing of a US$21.16 million project to rehabilitate basic, non-formal education in Sierra Leone. The package includes a US$19.84 million loan and a US$1.32 million grant.

ADB said the ‘Education III Project’ is an emergency response to fill basic education, vocational-skills training and functional literacy needs. It will include the rehabilitation, reconstruction or expansion of 460 primary and 100 junior secondary schools, as well as 40 community education and vocational-training centers. The project will also strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

— UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
Oct. 16, 2002

South Africa

Recruiters Blamed for Severe Medical Staff Shortage

Citing insufficient pay, overwork and lack of support, South African health professionals are leaving in droves for countries such as Great Britain, the United States and Australia, where the pay is higher and the working conditions better. This comes at a time when the country’s already overloaded health system struggles to deal with the increasing burden of AIDS.

Helped by international recruiting agencies, as many as 3,500 of 26,000 South African doctors are living and working abroad, according to the South African Medical Association. African governments are blaming these agencies for poaching their much-needed medical staff.

South Africa has called on wealthy governments to stop recruiting their medical professionals. The Commonwealth, a body of 54 former British colonies and territories, has addressed the issue of poaching, and some countries have agreed to not recruit staff directly from the developing world. Britain, however, in an attempt to reduce long waiting lists at National Health Service hospitals, continues to bring in doctors from abroad on a temporary basis. The United States, which does not have a nationalized health system, cannot prohibit hospitals and universities from recruiting overseas.

Despite the government’s struggle to keep its medical staff, South Africa’s situation is not nearly as severe as many of its neighbors. There are only 400 registered doctors in Zambia, and many of Zimbabwe’s medical professionals are leaving because of increasing political instability and deepening economic recession. Reports from Kenya indicate that there are only 600 practicing dentists left in the country.

— Christian Science Monitor
Oct. 8, 2002

Five-Year Plan Calls for University Mergers

The restructuring of higher education in South Africa is set to receive supplementary funding in the years ahead.

Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said it will take five years to complete the proposed mergers of higher education institutions. The plan to reduce the country’s 36 universities and technikons to 21 is outlined in the National Plan for Higher Education, which was approved by the Cabinet in May 2002.

The restructuring, according to a report by the South Africa Universities Vice Chancellors Association, would will cost an estimated R3.6 billion (US$360 million) over the five years.

— BuaNews (Pretoria)
Oct. 30, 2002

Ethnic Languages Gain Stature in Higher Education

The South African government has approved the Language Policy Framework for higher education, which is set to promote the use of ethnic languages in higher education institutions. The framework includes the development of languages other than English and Afrikaans for use as academic and scientific languages, and also the promotion of the study of these languages and their literature in higher education.

The ministry said the promotion of a common sense of nationhood drove the effort. According to the government, the framework is consistent with the values of democracy, social justice and fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution.

English will be the primary, but not sole, language of instruction. The importance of Afrikaans as a medium of academic expression is also acknowledged with a commitment to ensure its capacity will not be “eroded.”

— BuaNews (Pretoria)
Nov. 7, 2002

Sudan

University Closes Amid Student Unrest

The University of Khartoum has been closed indefinitely after a three-week protest against the Islamist government turned increasingly violent.

Clashes erupted Nov. 13 between rival groups of students at two campuses of Sudan’s leading university.

Students had led a strike that closed five university departments since Oct. 22, when police forcibly broke up a student celebration. They were marking the 35th anniversary of a popular upheaval that overthrew the military dictatorship of Ibrahim Aboud. The strike continued with student accusations of police brutality, which the authorities have promised to investigate.

— AFP
Nov. 14,2002

Uganda

Gulu University Opens

The long-awaited Gulu University has opened its doors to an expected student body of 300. Students from all over the country will have three undergraduate programs to choose from: education, business administration and development studies. The university is in Gulu town.

— New Vision (Kampala)
Oct. 2002

Zimbabwe

Exams Cancelled as Lecturers Strike

About 900 university lecturers went on strike in early October, demanding improved working conditions and salary adjustments commensurate with their qualifications and equal to the rate of inflation.

In a November statement from professor Graham Hill, vice chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe, end-of-semester examinations were cancelled in courses where three weeks or more of teaching had been lost due to the strike. Arrangements will be made to hold the examinations at the beginning of the second semester.

A government ultimatum required lecturers to return to work by Nov. 6 or risk facing unspecified disciplinary action. Some of the lecturers defied the ultimatum and said they would continue with their industrial action until the government supplied written evidence that their salaries will be adjusted.

— The Daily News (Harare)
Nov. 20, 2002