Abstract:
Higher Education has the responsibility of creating the capacity for sustainable development. Developed nations have made efforts to transform their higher education institutions into knowledge economies to act as the drivers of development. The rationale is that the main determinant of poverty is the lack of appropriate human capital to produce added value, make use of technology and attract investments. Africa is one of the most endowed continents in terms of natural resources, yet it is the poorest and most unsuccessful in providing the human and capital resources to sustain itself. This paper analyses the value that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Africa attach to being major contributors to their nations’ development. A deconstruction is made of the research and appointment and promotion policies of Makerere University (Uganda), University of Malawi and University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). The three cases highlight the need to re-culture and reconsider African scholarship.

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Nakabugo, Mary Goretti (2008) What is research in higher education? : a deconstruction of policies in three African universities.