Reimagining the African University of the future - Thought-leader interviews

Mark Paterson and I just concluded a series of over 40 brief articles in University World News Africa based on interviews with African higher education thought-leaders. The articles highlight key ideas and innovative practices in African higher education that anticipate the 'future African university' today. They engage with current debates in African higher education such as the growing place and use of African languages in higher education (as against colonial languages); African indigenous knowledge systems and epistemologies; curricular reforms and changes in the delivery of higher education; the impact of massification on a range of matters like university funding, student and staff complements, infrastructure, diversity of institutions and differentiation; and the increasing emphasis on 'tertiary TVET', professional training and practical skills, and so forth. 

The thought-leaders were carefully chosen to include a wide range of scholars, professionals, youth leaders, and grant-makers that are deeply and reflectively involved in the development of universities across the continent. They include: 

Goolam Mohamedbhai, Mogobe Ramose, Reitumetse Mabokela, Rekgotsofetse Chikane, Dzul Razak, Catherine Odora Hoppers, Neil Turok, Adam Habib, Madeleine Arnot, Paul Zeleza, Tade Aina, Lihle Ngcobozi, Rajesh Tandon, Claudia Frittelli, Peter Materu, Birgit Schreiber, William Mpofu, Saleem Badat, Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Laura Czerniewicz, Issa Shivji, Nelson Masanche Nkhoma, Cheryl de la Rey, Doyin Atewologun, Tshilidzi Marwala, Ndungu Kahihu, Patrício Langa, Teboho Moja, Chris Bradford, Fred Swaniker, Shanen Ganapathee, Ernest Aryeetey, Yunus Ballim, Achille Mbembe, David Awuah, Thoko Mayekiso, and Fikile Vilakazi. 

In the choice of this illustrious group of thought-leaders, the project team of The Imprint of Education (TIE) project of the Human Sciences Research Council took care to try and balance the views by adding selection criteria (other than the ones above) to also ensure gender, age, region, and broad expertise. In addition to the UWN articles, some of the (edited and approved) transcripts of the interviews are also published on the TIE website. Maybe I should mention that it wasn't only I who did interviews but a whole range of TIE project collaborators, including: Catherine Odora Hoppers, Ibrahim Oanda, Relebohile Moletsane, David Everatt, Crain Soudien, James Otieno Jowi, Sharlene Swartz, Krish Chetty, Alude Mahali, Angelique Wildschut and Vuyiswa Mathambo.

After the conclusion of the series, the second big step now is the publication of the book "Rupture and innovation in the African university", which I co-authored over the last 16 months with Vuyiswa Mathambo, Angelique Wildschut and Crain Soudien. It is due to be published by AISA Press (the Africa Institute of South Africa Press), which is an imprint of the HSRC Press. We hope it will also be co-published with CODESRIA Press which would then be the leading house for the French version of the book.