ANNUAL REPORT 1998-1999
December 1999
3.
ACHIEVEMENTS
3.1. Core Programme
Management
3.1.1. Leadership
and Management
Two projects under this programme were co-ordinated
by the Research Section over the period under reporting. They are :
3.1.1.1. Study Progamme on Higher Education Management
in Africa
The main objectives of this sub-programme which offers
grants to staff of university members willing to undertake research in
higher education policy are to :
-
generate and promote policies for improved financing,
management and governance of African Universities;
-
contribute to the establishment of local capacity for
systematic and continuous evaluation and input into higher education policy-making
and administration.
With the completion of the first batch of research projects
and the near-completion of research and report-writing under the second
batch, work during the year was concentrated on the following :
a- Scientific Committee
Three meetings of the Scientific Committee have been
held since July 1998. The Committee first met in October 1998 in Paris,
France, to assess a draft proposal for the extension of the Study Programme.
The second meeting was held early in February 1999 in Arusha, Tanzania,
at which the Committee worked in anticipation of approval of the next Phase
of the Programme by outlining a provisional Work Plan for 1999-2000, and
bringing up themes for the Research Grants Scheme under Phase 2. The last
meeting of the Committee, took place late in August 1999, London, UK. The
main agenda of that meeting was to select researchers for Phase 2 of the
Research Grants Scheme.
b- Research Grants Scheme
The work of the second batch of grantees is folding
up, with submission of all the final research reports, and 13 article-length
essays from the 15 projects. In Graduate and Employer (Tracer) project,
surveys have progressed more slowly, though steadily. Currently, two projects
have been completed, and reports on four are in final drafts. Plans are
underway for the best of the Tracer Study researchers to spend a month
and to meet with their Resource Persons at the Centre for Research on Higher
Education and Work, University of Kassel, Germany, to finalise their projects
and assist with the production of a comparative study on the entire Tracer
Project.
For the dissemination, four papers have been published
in the Journal Higher Education; three essays (Ssewanyana, Mayanja
and Abagi) in the AAU Research Paper Series, and two others
(Ezin and Liverpool) are with the Printer. The rest will be edited for
publication in the Series over the next six months. A list of all
completed research reports is placed on the AAU Website on the Internet
at
(http://www.aau.org/studyprogramme/reports.htm).
c- Presentation Seminar
Under the theme "Life after Graduation: Graduate
and Employment Surveys from 5 African Countries", papers on five Tracer
Study Projects were presented at a seminar on the occasion of COREVIP in
Arusha, in February 1999. It was attended by higher education policy makers
and administrators, and donor representatives.
d- Extension of the Study Programme
Following a positive external evaluation, support
for Phase 2 of the Programme has been extended for three more years by
the Dutch Government and SIDA/SAREC. This took off on 1st March,
1999. Already, the selection process for research grantees under Phase
two is near-completion, and an Induction and Methodology Workshop is being
planned for early next year.
Figure 1: Research Grantees by Gender
Figure 2: Study Programme Phase II participants by
country
3.1.1.2. Senior University Management Workshops
(SUMA)
The SUMA aims at contributing to capacity-building
of African University leadership and management to deal with current and
prospective managerial and financial problems. The workshops are organised
in collaboration with a local institution from the region where it would
be held. The sixth workshop originally scheduled for October 1998, was
held in Abuja, Nigeria, from the 18th to 25th July
1999, in collaboration with the Nigerian National Universities Commission
(NUC). It was backed financially by FINNIDA, Ford Foundation and the Nigerian
National Universities Commission. The following themes were discussed by
the participants: Management of institutional pressures, Gender and Institutional
Culture, Research Management, Strategic Planning, Resource Allocation,
Finance and Efficiency Issues, Staff and Student Management and Relations.
The SUMA VI in Abuja saw a record attendance of 33
participants including 18 Vice-Chancellors, the highest number (21%) of
female participation, and a greater percentage (73%) of participants self-sponsoring
their participation. This record participation was in spite of an increased
registration fee of US$500, introduced in line with the new policy of making
SUMA self-financing. For the first time, SUMA was organised and run by
the AAU itself, and not by CHERD. This together with the subsidy from the
NUC and the registration fee, led to substantial savings. The high level
of attendance, participation and contribution, and the enthusiasm of participants
were noted by the Resource Persons, and reflected in the evaluation of
the workshop by participants. SUMA VI marks an important stage in the process
of making SUMA a largely self-financing, fully AAU-organised event.
A book of case study material developed and used
in SUMA workshops over the years, has been published by Maskew Miller in
South Africa. It was proposed that the book, which is jointly edited by
Professors Donald Ekong and Akilagpa Sawyerr, be made available to AAU
member institutions as well as institutions and groups interested in running
workshops on issues of higher education, especially in Africa.
Figure 3: SUMA VI: Participants by country
Photo1: Participants in SUMA VI
3.1.2.
Quality of Training and Research
The following projects were run under this programme
:
-
Collection and Dissemination of Science and Technology
Information Produced in African Universities
-
Regional Cooperation in Graduate Training and Research
-
Graduate Programme in Humanitarian and Refugee Studies
3.1.2.1. Collection and Dissemination of Science
and Technology Information Produced in African Universities
The main objective of this project which started
its activities in 1996 is to develop a
programme seeking to help African universities to
organise and disseminate
information on research results in science and technology.
The following results
were achieved in phase 2 :
-
Publication of 2 special issues of the AAU Newsletter
in science and technology;
-
Support to participating universities for dissemination
of information;
- Organization of a second meeting of participating
universities in Pretoria;
-
Publication of the report of the Pretoria meeting.
The project which entered in its extension and final
phase in 1998/2000, aims at disseminating the results and experiences acquired
during the first two phases of activity implementation. The results and
experiences will be made available to the productive sector, to professional
associations and other relevant stakeholders, as well as to other universities
and research centres, so as to encourage them to start similar processes.
The following activities were undertaken in 1998/1999
:
-
the publication in March 1999 of a special issue of
the AAU Newsletter on science and technology. This issue contains the report
of the meeting of participating universities which was held in Pretoria
in May 1999, a paper on selected topics on technology, the report of the
workshop on the use of radio for computer networking and the Botswana's
science and technology policy;
- the support to three selected participating universities
to disseminate their research results to the productive sector. They are
University of the North, South Africa; University of Pretoria, South Africa;
University of Swaziland.
3.1.2.2. Regional Cooperation in Graduate Training
and Research
Based on previous studies commissioned by the AAU,
the Association believes that a way of improving the quality of higher
education on the continent will involve regional cooperation in graduate
training and research. The AAU has recently implemented a Project whose
specific objective was the establishment of regional networks as
concrete mechanisms for fostering/strengthening regional cooperation. The
Project was entitled
"Networks For Regional Cooperation in Graduate
Training And Research" and was structured into several phases.
The first Phase began in April 1998 with an invitation
to member institutions to submit proposals for the establishment/strengthening
of networks for graduate training and research. Forty-four (44)
proposals were received by the AAU. Phase I was completed in September
1998 with the selection, by a panel of four AAU consultants, of seven (7)
proposals, from among the forty-four (44) received. The second phase ended
in November 1998 with the presentation of the proposals by the network
leaders at a meeting of the Working Group on Higher Education of the Association
for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA/WGHE) which took place
in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from November 3rd to 5th
, 1999.
The ADEA/WGHE unanimously endorsed the network proposals
and decided that every effort should be made to secure funds for the implementation
of the proposals.
3.1.2.3. Quality Assurance Systems in Africa
The broad objectives of this project are the following:
-
to review past/present quality assurance practices and
carry out institutional self-evaluations in some African universities;
-
to encourage quality audit processes/practices in African
universities;
-
to assist member universities to develop quality assurance
procedures;
-
to undertake effective coordination of quality assurance
practices in African universities.
Implementation of the planned activities of this Programme
has not started, owing to non-availability of funds. After talks between
the AAU and representatives of the Ford Foundation, there is much hope
that the Programme will receive some funding which will permit the commencement
of the activities in the next fiscal year.
3.1.2.4. Graduate Programme in Humanitarian and
Refugee Studies
The Project was structured into three phases. Phase
1 was the identification of a group of African Institutions interested
in building a network to offer training for professionals engaged in humanitarian
and relief activities or in public services where humanitarian law plays
a significant role. The implementation of this phase began in December
1998 and the following activities were undertaken so far :
-
Seven institutions responded to AAU's call for proposals
for the establishing or strengthening of graduate programmes for humanitarian
and refugee studies;
-
All seven institutions were invited to the Workshop
of Partners held from 11-12 June, 1999 here in Accra;
-
Two Consultants were appointed after the Workshop
of Partners to evaluate the proposals submitted by the seven institutions.
The Consultants submitted a report;
-
A report of the Workshop was produced and sent to all
participants and to the consultants;;
-
A Final Report, a Financial Report and a Proposal for
follow-up activities (Phase II) were sent to DANIDA and the IAUP, who had
provided the funds for Phase I.
Phase 2 will involve the development of the cooperation
framework with well defined ownership responsibility and commitment of
all partners to the network programme as well as the actual training programme
to be offered. Phase 3 will be the implementation phase during which training
will be offered.
3.1.3. Gender Sensitization
3.1.3.1. AAU/UNESCO Chair for Women in Science
and Technology in Southern Africa (Swaziland)
The project started in May 1996 and although the
initial funding period had expired by December 1997, activities continued
to be implemented at least up to September 1998. The aim was to strengthen
the participation of women and girls in science and technology in Africa,
and was intended particularly for women scientists in Southern Africa,
mostly from Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. It was supported
by UNESCO and The Rockefeller Foundation and hosted by the University of
Swaziland.
The main activities undertaken within the project
are the following:
- Organization of Workshops for female scientists
and formation of research networks;
- Establishment of a network of women scientists
named Women in Science and Technology in Africa Network (WISTAN), which
had about 50 members by September 1998. The network aims at developing
productive and motivated women scientists who are more aware of the country's
needs and priorities, to raise the profile of women scientists in Africa,
and to undertake relevant research in S&T, Education, Nutrition &
Health, Food & Agriculture and the environment;
- Creation of a WISTAN Newsletter and publication
of a first issue in July 1997;
- Organization of Scientific Literacy Programmes
intended for the rural communities;
- Production and circulation of a video-documentary
on successful female scientists;
- Participation and contribution to international
conferences and preparation of papers on the project and the status of
women in Higher education.
Generally, the overall activities of the Chair have
been very successful and most importantly, the Chair has acquired sufficient
autonomy
to design follow-up programmes and raise the necessary funds for their
implementation. During the World Conference on Higher Education, the holder
of the UNESCO Chair played a very salient role and was awarded a Commenius
medal for her outstanding achievements in Chemistry and promotion of women
in science.
The programme has been completed. An extra activity
being considered, and subject to financial means, is the preparation of
a comprehensive summary report, containing the main activities undertaken,
lessons learned and recommendations, which will be widely disseminated.
3.1.3.3. AAU/FAWE Gender Programme
The main thrust of this programme is to stimulate
/enhance gender activities in African universities.
The specific objectives are to :
-
develop gender awareness and sensitivity among university
leaders and the academic community;
-
identify and strengthen affirmative action initiatives
geared towards promoting the participation of girls and women, reviewing
academic student and staff regulation and practices, and other initiatives
which influence access, retention and success of female members of the
institution;
-
establish a database of African female experts and promote
their use as resource persons, thus contributing to enhance their visibility
and their role as models for girls and women;
-
commission a well-researched publication on gender
and/in higher education in Africa as a FAWE/AAU contribution to the
WCHE.
Funding for the implementation of the project was approved
by FAWE in March 1998. Two consultants, one Anglophone and the other
Francophone, were appointed in May and June 1998, respectively, to carry
out a number of assignments among those approved by FAWE. The first of
these assignments was the preparation of a Paper entitled: Women in
Higher Education and Research in Africa in October 1998 by the consultants.
This assignment was successfully completed by the consultants and the paper
was presented at the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education held in
Paris, France, 5-9 October, 1998.
The consultants also started work on two other assignments
comprising the creation of a database of women experts and the compilation
of gender-sensitive affirmative action instruments in African universities.
Working with the Programme Coordinator and the Head of Information &
Communication, the consultants designed the necessary survey instruments
for collecting the needed data, and these were mailed to all AAU member-institutions
in April 1999, with a deadline of 14 May, 1999. The returns from the two
surveys have been employed to create databases.
The final phase of this project comprises the preparation
of materials from the databases for :
-
a publication on the state of gender equity in African
universities; and
-
a publication containing the details of women experts
in African universities.
3.1.4. Special
Membership Services
Special services comprise academic mobility which
includes the Staff Exchange, the Graduate Education Scholarship and the
Small Grants for Thesis programmes. Figure 4 provides information on the
participation of member universities.
Figure 4: Academic Mobility 1998/99: Percentage of
Member Universities Participation
3.1.4.1. Staff Exchange Programme
The objectives of this programme are to promote inter-university
cooperation through academic mobility; and enhance the quality of teaching
and research in African universities.
A call for nominations of participants in the AAU
Staff Exchange Programme for the 1998/99 Academic Year was sent to all
member universities in July 1998, with 31 March, 1999 as deadline for the
submission of nominations. Twelve nominations were received, one of which
was by a non-member university. Of the eleven valid nominations, three
fell within the early part of the 1999/2000 academic year. Eight Staff
Exchange Fellowships were approved in the 1998/99 academic year. No university
nominated a female academic for a Fellowship. By the end of May 1999, three
(3) of the Fellowships had been utilized on schedule.
Figure 5: Academic Mobility 1998/99 Academic Year
percentage of Participation of Member Universities
3.1.4.2. Graduate Education Scholarship Programme
Much importance is placed by the AAU on capacity-building
in African universities, especially in the area of graduate training/research,
as this is crucial to the rapid development of the continent. Under the
Graduate Education Scholarship Programme, scholarships are awarded to highly
qualified students who have been
offered admission to pursue graduate studies in universities
on the continent. This
Programme is supported by the Deutsche Akademischer
Austauschdienst (DAAD) (German Academic Exchange Service) which makes a
maximum of 10 scholarships available to the AAU every academic year.
The main objectives are to promote student mobility,
graduate training in African universities and staff development through
graduate training for African university teachers.
Nomination forms in respect of the AAU/DAAD Graduate
Scholarships for the 1998/99 Academic Year were sent to selected member
universities in July 1998 with 31 October, 1998 as deadline for submission
of nominations. Eight nominations were received. These were forwarded to
the DAAD in November 1998. After indicating in December 1998 that it might
be able to make up to five awards if some of the candidates submitted additional
information, the DAAD eventually made only three awards to one male and
two female candidates. A difficulty experienced by universities in making
nominations was that DAAD insisted that the scholarships were in-region,
but not in-country, implying that no candidate could utilise an
award in his/her country. In order to make the nomination process easier,
it has been made clear to the universities that have been invited to make
nominations in the 1999/2000 academic year that they could nominate their
foreign students studying in their institutions and/or citizens of
the countries where the institutions are located. Where the nominees
are citizens of the countries of the nominating universities, they
must be studying outside their own countries.
Figure 6: Regional Distribution of DAAD Scholarship1998/1999
3.1.4.3. Small Grants for Dissertation and Theses
The objectives of this programme are to facilitate
the early completion of research Dissertations and Theses by graduate students
in African universities and to improvethe quality of research conducted
by graduate students in African universities. Nomination forms in respect
of the Small Grants for Dissertations/Theses
Programme for the 1998/99 Academic Year were sent
to selected member universities in July 1998 and November 1998 with September
and December 1998 as deadlines, respectively, for submission of nominations.
A further invitation to selected universities for nominations, with new
deadlines, was issued when the number of nominations received was inadequate
or the candidates nominated could not meet the conditions of award of the
Small Grants. Twenty five (25) nominations were received. Fourteen (14)
small grants were awarded for the 1998/99 academic year. Twenty (20) universities
were recently invited to send in their nominations for awards tenable during
the 1999/2000 academic year, following the receipt of funding from the
Ford Foundation.
Figure 7: Regional Distribution of Small Grants 1998/1999
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