Mix boldness with prudence, academicians told

Accra (Greater Accra), 10th June 99 ?

Dr Kofi Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, on Wednesday urged African Universities to recognise the dynamic transition of the continent and shift their emphasis from pure theory to pragmatic applications.

"Most students will not have the luxury of dwelling in a world of pure theory; they must have abilities which directly lead to pragmatic employment opportunities," Dr Amoako told a large forum of academia and stakeholders in higher education attending a three-day conference in Accra.

More than 80 foreign and local officials are attending the conference, which will focus on the partnership between the private sector and civil society in developing African Universities.

Under the auspices of the Africa Regional Council of the International Association of University Presidents and the Association of African Universities, the conference will chart a new direction among the stakeholders towards a sustainable development of Africa through higher education.

Dr Amoako said even though higher education in Africa receives a high share of the continent's total education budgets, tertiary enrolment ratios in Africa remain the lowest among other regions.

From six universities in Africa in 1960, the continent now boasts of 120 universities with enrolment reaching 3.8 million in 1995 from 1.5 million in 1980.

Yet, while Africa's growth rate for enrolment in higher education has led every other region by a wide margin, university budgets have been the least adequate among the regions.

"This calls for a new understanding of the situation of the university and what its options are," Dr Amoako said.

Dr Amoako who is a United Nations Under-Secretary, said the time has come for African Universities to move from heavy dependence on the state for funding and seek partnership with other interested groups.

He said the changing role of the state has powerful implications for universities.

"Students and researchers must be far more attuned to a pluralistic society. Pluralism means, much more wider diversity for employment of graduates, the need for more complex understanding of how societies operate and change, and of course, far more facility in anticipating and coping with new social, demographic technological and scientific transitions."

Dr Amoako said a progressing Africa, where higher education seeks and receives more authority and responsibility to be innovative, can implement a "full menu of relationships" with the private sector and civil society.

"No one person or institution has all the answers as to what every specific menu should be, so this is another area in which to share ideas and experiences."

Dr Amoako called for research collaboration with the private sector that will encourage higher education, allow more autonomy and give incentives for quality improvement and better service to the public.

This, he said, would help in Africa's overarching challenge of eradicating poverty.

"This vision of progress would only become a reality if we are talented drivers of the economy, making long sighted choices and staying with the tasks as we address the challenges facing the continent," Dr Amoako said.