Transforming the Academia: Exploring African Universities in a Comparative Context

This book presents a rigorous inquiry into one of the most striking transformation which has occurred in Africa’s education today – the University. Utilising an array of theoretical perspectives drawn from economics, political science, and sociology among others, this book explores the metamorphosis of the African university from its post-independence local national institution to the contemporary market-oriented and globally-influenced academia. The contributing authors, committed Africanists drawn from a variety of disciplines, navigate through the complexities of the transformation highlighting the how these changes mimic trends elsewhere beyond the continent. The survey of the African university transformation is distilled into six critical themes: The historical evolution, governance, access and success, financing, privatisation as well as the academic profession. In each theme, the author delineates the historical antecedents, explores the societal forces shaping the transformation, analyses the emerging university configurations, contextualises these changes in a global context, and provides important policy implications for the resultant change. This book provides a balanced perspective on trends in university developments in Africa. This book is a must read for African studies specialists, higher education scholars, policy makers and anyone with a keen eye in comparative higher education scholarship.