Transcript Slide 1
HEFMA CONFERENCE – Alpine Heath
Strategic and Policy challenges in the postrestructuring Higher Education Landscape
21 OCTOBER 2010
Prof Narend Baijnath – VP: Unisa
Introduction
• China has engineered an explosion in higher education,
the most dramatic in human history. Between 1999 and
2005, the number of degree earners quadrupled—to
more than 3 million. China is expected by the end of this
calendar year to become the world's largest producer of
Ph.D. scientists and engineers.
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Introduction ctd
• In India, the numbers attending universities doubled in
the 1990s, and demand continues to surge. India's
Human Resource Development Minister has stated that
India needs 800 new institutions of higher education by
2020 in order to raise the age participation rate—the
percentage of college-age population enrolled in
institutions of higher education—from 12.4% to 30%.
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Introduction ctd
• While the knowledge economy drives and indeed
requires the unprecedented growth of higher education,
in many places university budgets decline, and courses,
faculty and opportunities are cut back, even as
enrolments and expectations rise [Drew Faust]
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UNESCO World Conference
• Reaffirmed social responsibility of higher education – advance our
understanding, critical thinking and citizenship
• Solid skills, human rights and democracy, autonomy, quality,
relevance, efficiency
• Access, equity and quality – wider participation – education for all –
shortage of teachers, capacities of in-service teachers
• Application of ICTs – access
• Emphasis on SET
• Indigenous knowledge, sharing and transmission
• Internationalisation, regionalisation and globalisation – cooperation,
bridging the developmental gap, brain circulation, cross-border
provision
• Regional coop – recog of qualifications, QA, governance research.
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HE in Africa
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Increasing enrolments and widening participation
Academic freedom
Brain drain
Graduateness
HE a vehicle to alleviate poverty and fight underdevelopment in Africa
• Stimulation of research through institutional, national and
regional collaboration
• QA mechanisms as a vehicle – national, sub-regional
and regional systems
• Funding – private financing to be encouraged
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SA PHD Challenges – ASSAf Study
• 2007 – 1274 Phds
• Most white males in 30s
• Improvements in racial representation offset by
increases in non-SA graduates
• Most graduates in social sciences
• 80% produced by Universities
• Top 9 responsible for 83%
• One third of permanent academics with PhDs
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SA PHD Recommendations– ASSAf Study
• External intervention programmes
• Funding to facilitate fulltime study
• Address pipeline issues – avenues at prior levels into
PhD programmes
• Improve schooling as a fundamental intervention for
sustainable impact
• Incentives to students to make the commitment
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DHET SP Priorities
-5 key issues, namely, HIV/AIDS, disability, gender, race
and class
-50% Participation Rate by 2030 [of 18-24yr olds]
-20% by 2016 – currently under 17%
-Access with success
-A variety of Post School options in a differentiated system
of PSE
-Opportunities for articulation between vocational education
and formal work-based training
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University Specific Objectives
-Increase absolute number of UG and PG students in
Science, engineering and Technoogy
-Increase in the size and calibre of the academic teaching
and researcher population
-Broad challenges: success, quality, differentiation (access
to infrastructure), knowledge production and relevance,
access and capacity (emphasis on HR side)
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Issues
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Capacity of economy to absorb graduates
Increased cross-border competition
E-learning – reach and acceptability
Vestiges of an elite system
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Concluding thoughts
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Sensitivities regarding environment and resources
Good governance and management systems
Barrier free environment
Staff wellness and health, spaces for socialising
Teaching and learning venues and configuration
Residences – safety, health, aesthetics
Architectural legacies
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