Partnership to Strengthen African Universities

Beyond the glaring headlines of the moment, which seem to tell a story about Africa that speaks only of conflict, civil war, famine and natural disasters, there is a more profoundly significant story that needs to be told. It is the story of sustained growth, deepening democratization and successful reform, all buoyed by hope for the future. Nurturing that hope through education, which can help develop and sustain the next generation of African leaders, is one of the goals of a new initiative sponsored by four U.S. foundations.

The Partnership to Strengthen African Universities, which focuses on countries in sub-Saharan Africa, is a collaboration of Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Rockefeller, Ford and MacArthur foundations. The initiative will support projects at African universities and academic associations that are designed to strengthen the quality and availability of higher education. Perhaps no single area of development is more important to efforts aimed at reducing poverty and stimulating economic and social development in Africa, especially in the fields necessary for continued growth in the region.

In announcing the partnership on April 24, 2000, the presidents of the four foundations—Vartan Gregorian of Carnegie Corporation, Susan V. Berresford of the Ford Foundation, Gordon Conway of the Rockefeller Foundation and Jonathan Fanton of the MacArthur Foundation—who were joined by United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan and Andrew Siwela, president of the Association of African Universities—said that the decision to provide this support was based upon two important trends. First, a significant number of nations are implementing democratic and economic reforms and, second, despite very difficult circumstances, many higher education institutions in Africa are responding in creative ways to these reforms and to the pressing needs of their countries. It is anticipated that the foundations will provide more than $100 million in support over the next five years through projects related to the initiative.

Under the partnership, each foundation will provide support for higher education institutions in the country or countries in which it has traditionally focused. While the nature of the activities to be supported will vary, an important potential element of the initiative will be establishing regional and inter-country education leadership links. Support may also be provided to foster the growth of continent-wide learning networks and opportunities to collaborate in selected fields.

Planning grants have been made to some institutions where work already underway reflects the spirit of the partnership. Makerere University in Uganda, for example, is undertaking a strategic plan concerning both functioning and financing of the university as well as capacity building for the decentralization process underway in Uganda. At that institution, enrollment has doubled over the past six years and degree programs have been expanded to include business administration, nursing, biomedical lab technology and tourism. The University of Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, has undertaken a strategic planning process that is completely redefining the university, proposing a new legislative framework and new management structures. In Mozambique’s Eduardo Mondlane University, the quality of the faculty has been greatly improved over the past ten years, and one of Africa’s first Internet service providers was established.

The foundation leaders said this new partnership is only a small part of the platform of support upon which substantial and long-term gains can be made by Africa’s higher education institutions. They pledged to encourage other organizations to make African higher education a priority of their funding strategies.

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