Regional

The Future of Cross-Border Higher Education in Africa

While Africa has not experienced the boom of foreign education providers that has been seen in other parts of the world, there are at least eight branch campuses on the African continent operated by universities from Australia, Europe, the United States, and elsewhere. Now, with the announcement of Carnegie Mellon University opening a campus in Rwanda, Ian Wilhelm – in a Chronicle of Higher Education blog – considers if it is reasonable to ask whether Africa is poised to be the next market for cross-border higher education.

Wilhelm states, “it is surprising that more institutions are not involved in Africa given its high demand for education and generally weak university infrastructure. If international branch campuses are primarily about increasing educational opportunities for local students, then it is hard to think of a region more in need of this than Africa. On the other hand, many of the international branches we have seen are interested in revenue generation for the home campus as much or more than building capacity for the host government. On this account, Africa is less desirable because there is less money available to support a break-even (let alone profitable) business model. Foreign institutions would likely need subsidies to be able to support the development of a foreign campus; but why would governments invest resources in foreign education providers, when the existing state system is itself poorly financed?”

Given that “few institutions are able or willing to devote home campus resources to subsidize a foreign campus,’ start-up and operating costs for overseas campus often come from the host government and private-sector partners. Wilhelm points out that it ‘is notable, therefore, that the Carnegie Mellon branch is reportedly being built with money from the African Development Bank, with the support of the Rwandan government. The willingness of the bank to subsidize the cost of a campus provides the deep pockets that are typically needed to get a successful campus off the ground. Subsidies provide the time to develop high-quality, sustainable academic programs and to respond to local research agendas, rather than needing local student fees to immediately cover all expenses. Moreover, local government support helps the campuses navigate local regulations and provides legitimacy in the local market.”

However, he goes on to note that “perhaps this initial effort by the development bank foreshadows a growing interest in subsidizing such activities and more universities will follow Carnegie Mellon’s lead. Without such support, however, the building of branch campuses in Africa is likely to remain a rare and risky endeavor.”

– The Chronicle of Higher Education
September 20, 2011

Ghana

Students at Private Universities Face Credential Scrutiny

The Ghanaian National Accreditation Board has said that students at some private universities may have been admitted without the proper qualifications, while also suggesting that a number of institutions may have lowered entry requirements to bolster their numbers.

The National Accreditation Board (NAB) – the body that regulates tertiary education –recently undertook an audit of admissions procedures in private universities, the results of which led the body to direct students who were admitted to private universities without the required grades on the West Africa School Certificate of Education examinations to re-sit those examinations before they can graduate.

An estimated 26 universities have been cited for flouting admission procedures. There are about 49 private universities in Ghana. All private universities are required to have an affiliation with public universities, which are responsible for overseeing standards.

Some affected students seem dissatisfied with the claims that NAB is simply trying to ensure that standards are maintained, and say the private universities have been singled out unfairly.

– University World News
September 18, 2011

Kenya

Double Cohort Enrolls at Kenyatta University

Kenyatta University is the first in the country to undertake a double enrollment of freshmen students, under a plan that seeks to address an urgent admissions crisis that currently has 40,000 qualified students waiting for a university place. Kenya’s other six public universities are expected to follow suit, even though there has not been substantial expansion of already strained infrastructure to match growing student numbers.

The university admitted new students in May and with the start of the new academic year last week opened its doors to its second round of students, combining those who graduated from high school in 2009 and 2010. The freshmen at Kenyatta will have to learn on an alternating basis with the students who reported in May

Thousands of school-leavers qualify for university places annually. But an admissions backlog built up over decades and driven by demand for higher education exceeding the ability of universities to supply places, has meant that up to now applicants have had to wait for two years before joining a public university.

– University World News
October 2, 2011

Mauritius

100,000 Students by 2020 and How to Get There

The island nation of Mauritius, off Africa’s east coast, recently established a new Ministry of Tertiary Education as part of its plan to position itself as a regional destination for international students: 100,000 of them by 2020. In an interview with University World News, the man in charge of the new ministry, Rajesh Jeetah, explained how the country aims to go about achieving its ambitious goal.

According to the minister, “activities linked to the knowledge hub are visible in many ways, whether from the point of view of the creation of new institutions or new programs, new infrastructural development and logistical support for international students.

For instance, we have set up Study Mauritius to market the knowledge hub overseas. With the collaboration of Enterprise Mauritius, we have fielded missions to India, Tanzania and Kenya to attract foreign students to our island. Soon, we will go to Zimbabwe.”

In addition, the minister points to agreements with countries in the region concerning the mutual recognition of qualifications, and the development of a new student visa system. Other measures include the creation of a quality assurance framework by the ministry, and the creation of five national research chairs and a National Research Fund of MUR100 million (US$3.5 million).

In terms of Mauritius appealing to foreign students, Mr. Jeetah explains that the island is not only strategically located on a global scale midway between the East and the West, but also as a tourist resort it is attractive as a nice place to study, while also being very safe. Equally important is that the cost of higher studies in Mauritius is low compared to many other places, which is appealing for students from the African region, which the minister describes as “a growing market for higher education that has yet to be tapped.”

Construction of several university campuses are said to be starting soon or are under consideration, while two polytechnics – the Swami Dayanand Institute of Management and the Institut Superieur de Technologie – are in the process of being merged into a new university. Additionally, an Open University of Mauritius is also planned. Plans are also afoot to create a medical school at the University of Mauritius for local and foreign students that would be run in collaboration with Bordeaux University. Britain’s Middlesex University has been operating a campus in Mauritius since last year.

– University World News
October 1, 2011