Now a review of the book has just been published in one of South Africa's most prestigious academic journals, the South African Journal of Science, Vol. 111 No. 9/10 (September/October 2015). The reviewer, Dr Fred Hayward of the University of Massachusetts, argues that "the effort to assess the relationship between higher education and development, economics and democracy in Africa is timely and well-conceived, and provides a wealth of very useful information on higher education in Africa." Hayward provides a chapter by chapter assessment of the book to arrive at the conclusion that "Overall this is an excellent publication, one that most people will want to read. It shows why the knowledge production functions were not developed historically in sub-Saharan Africa, and lays out what needs to be done to get them moving, with data based on evidence. It presents especially rich and very relevant material which I have found extremely useful, as will others. [...] The study breaks new ground, is a major contribution to our understanding of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa and will significantly reward the reader’s attention."
Of course, given that this is my blog, I can brag here as much as I like (lol). But it is amazing - he is particularly complimentary about my chapter, which also credits the work of my research assistants and colleagues. In particular he argues: "The two student surveys carried out at Makerere University and the University of Cape Town are very interesting and useful. For reasons that are clearly described, the surveys at the two institutions turned out to be less comparative than hoped. Nonetheless, the results are fascinating. The research and write-up here are excellent, upholding high standards of research and resisting the temptation to treat the data as more than it is. They conclude that: ‘Key aspects of student experience have profound impacts on raising levels of citizen competence’ (p.256). They then explore how universities develop citizen competencies though student experiences. This work is very suggestive of the potential of universities in nation-building and a demonstration of what can be done. But to do this, the universities need adequate funding, equipment, and well-trained and committed faculty to take full advantage of what can be done. This chapter alone makes the book worth reading; it reflects excellent work. The work of HERANA on how key aspects of student experience have an impact on citizenship competence, civic education and democratisation is among the best parts of this study."
Wow. Thanks Dr Hayward!
