Abstract:
On the upside, African students consider their student leadership as politically engaged and responsive to the needs of students; on the downside, perceptions of leadership corruption already start at university level. These are among the findings of surveys conducted in 2009 by HERANA at the University of Nairobi, University of Dar es Salaam and University of Cape Town. Overall the studies show that students' political attitudes are highly supportive of democracy in their countries and that they want to be involved in determining key decisions in their institutions. Moreover, they want a student leadership that is representative and democratically chosen, one which keeps their ears on the ground, listens to students' needs, reports back to them, and is accountable.

Student Perceptions of Student Leadership: Involved, Responsive, Corrupt Evidence from HERANA Higher Education & Democracy Surveys