Zimbabwe: Government Closes 280 Private Colleges
Citing quality problems and violations of regulations, Zimbabwe’s government ordered the closure of 280 private colleges in August. 223 colleges were deemed operating illegally and another 57 were de-registered, while selected tertiary programs at five elite schools were also terminated. Amidst the proliferation of fly-by-night schools in Zimbabwe, recurring government inspections seek to uphold academic standards, and have resulted in similar closures in 2012 and 2014 when approximately 200 providers were shut down in both instances. Most of the closed institutions offer technical and vocational training programs.
University World News
August 11, 2017
Nigeria: Number of Higher Education Institutions Could Skyrocket
Nigeria’s National Universities Commission is currently reviewing 200 pending applications by new private universities. If all of these institutions receive approval to operate, the number of universities could more than double from the 153 universities that already exist in the country. Private universities could help alleviate Nigeria’s capacity shortages which currently exclude many students from participation in higher education. At the same time, educational quality at private institutions is a concern with some private universities reportedly “renting” temporary faculty during the accreditation process. The establishment of such a large number of new private providers would mark a significant shift in a country where presently more than half of higher education institutions are public institutions.
Saharareporters.com
August 2, 2017
Burundi: University of Burundi Opens First Doctoral School in the Country
Burundi’s first doctoral school was scheduled to open in August 2017 and will accept applicants from Burundi as well as other member countries of the East African Community and the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries. The establishment of the new school is part of a larger reform process related to the harmonization of education systems in the East African Community Common Higher Education Area, in which the University of Burundi is anticipated to play an important role. According the school’s director, the creation of doctoral programs in Burundi faces significant challenges due to inadequate staffing, research facilities and libraries – problems the new school seeks to overcome by collaborating with other universities in the region and beyond. The school has already inked more than 20 partnership agreements with African and European universities and intends to establish a system of co-supervision of doctoral theses in partnership with foreign partner institutions.
University World News
August 11, 2017
Tanzania: University Commission Bars 19 Universities from Admitting New Students
Tanzania’s Commission for Universities (TCU) has barred 19 of the country’s 71 registered universities from admitting new students for the 2017/18 academic year, and further suspended intake to 75 degree programs at 22 institutions, including public universities like the University of Dar es Salaam. The move comes after a TCU inspection conducted in the fall of 2016 revealed shortcomings in academic quality. All of the 19 universities barred from admitting new students are private institutions and include transnational providers like the Ugandan Kampala International University and Kenya’s Kenyatta University. Current students are not affected by the ban and can continue their studies.
The East African
July 26, 2017
Kenya: New Virtual University to Advance Regional Integration
This September, Kenya’s Kenyatta University will be admitting the first student cohort into a new collaborative master’s program in regional integration that is intended to eventually evolve into a full-fledged graduate-level virtual university for research and training on regional integration in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). The e-learning program is offered in collaboration with 22 universities from the COMESA region and intended for government and private sector staff involved in regional trade, integration and cooperation. Once established, the Virtual University of Regional Integration is expected to advance regional integration by training students in integration management and issues like trade negotiations between the 19 member states of the COMESA free trade area.
University World News
July 14, 2017