General News of 2026-09-23
'Develop your own educational models' - Oxford University Vice-Chancellor urges Africa
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Professor Irene Tracy, has urged African countries to develop higher education systems that reflect their own realities rather than simply replicating models from Britain, Europe or the United States.
Speaking at the Higher Education Transformation Convening in Accra on September 22, 2026, Prof Tracy said African universities have an opportunity to rethink traditional approaches and create more flexible and innovative systems suited to their respective countries.
“Don’t just follow the model that’s out there in Europe, Britain or the US. You’ve got to make what is the right model and the right template for your particular context and country,” she said.
She noted that African countries could ‘leapfrog’ existing systems by adopting different approaches and making their higher education institutions more nimble and agile.
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Prof Tracy also called for greater diversity in the types of higher education institutions established across the continent, arguing that different models could produce different forms of impact.
On research, she said universities remain important because research generates new ideas and discoveries that can drive the creation of businesses and stimulate economic growth.
However, she questioned whether all research activities necessarily had to be housed within universities, suggesting that countries could consider centralised research institutes capable of bringing together the critical mass needed for major research projects.
She further encouraged stronger collaboration between universities, private-sector partners and other public institutions, describing Africa’s current position as an opportunity to rethink the traditional higher education template and ‘leapfrog’ existing systems.
MRA/VPO
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