Universities are engines of continent’s development

By Russel Botman. In the light of Africa Day celebrations on 25 May and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity – predecessor to the African Union, or AU – it is timely to look at the role of higher education in ensuring that the continent’s rapid economic progress results in sustained human development. Africa is increasingly being identified as a success story. Analysts have noted that the international discourse has shifted from Afro-pessimism to Afro-optimism. This is largely on the back of the continent’s good economic performance. Read more...