The Going Global Africa 2024 conference aims to continue the theme of establishing sustainable, scalable, and equitable partnerships in tertiary education through a regional lens to continuinue the discussions from the 2023 Conference. It will focus on improving relevance (skills to do and create jobs) and building sustainable capacity (as well as growing access) and how international education partnerships can address Africa’s needs most effectively.
This is a synopsis of the main topics that will be addressed:
- How can tertiary education and research in Africa meet the growing demands from young people, their communities, industries, and society at large? How can tertiary education providers – universities, colleges, and others – remain relevant and deliver knowledge, skills and qualifications that meet societal needs and best prepare young people for the future, in a world where labour market requirements are undergoing profound changes? How can research and innovation help address evolving needs? What is hindering institutional and system alignment to the changing landscape and what factors could help accelerate innovation and positive change?
- How can skills for employability, entrepreneurship and enterprise development be integrated in teaching and learning so that young graduates can more easily navigate the world of work? What role do curricula and pedagogies play in this? What role(s) should employers play and what policy changes and incentives would support greater employer engagement? How can tertiary education best address the needs of industry? How can we best harness the potential of technology to enhance learning and research? What are the risks and opportunities created by technology enhanced learning and advances in artificial intelligence? How can we ensure that they drive sustainability and equity?
- Given the rapid and unpredictable pace of change, how can tertiary education institutions grow their capacity and sustain it in line with demand? How can they best mobilise resources toward equitable enrolment and improving quality and relevance of programs? Which fundraising and innovative financing strategies can help institutions withstand shocks caused by heavy reliance on student fees or public funds? How can innovation and research commercialisation contribute to sustainable financing for tertiary education? What role do governance and leadership play in sustainable growth? Should institutional performance and results be regulated or incentivised and, if so, what is the role of governments and regulating agencies in all this?
- With so much more demand than supply, how can tertiary education institutions ensure that marginalised and under-represented groups have equitable access to tertiary education? How can students with disabilities be best supported to succeed? How can tertiary education institutions become safe spaces which address gender-based violence? Across the world, many young people have lost access to education because of forcible displacement or the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and may need additional support to catch up or to manage mental health issues. What changes are needed to support these groups in completing tertiary education?
- International partnerships are often seen as part of the toolkit for growth, for building capacity and increasing quality and relevance within tertiary education systems. What are the opportunities and challenges that African tertiary education institutions face when working with partners overseas and vice versa? What is the role of funders in this? Can transnational education be offered at scale in Africa and what equitable models – which may operate outside the university sector – can deliver mutual benefits and financial sustainability to the partners? Is there a risk that overseas institutions will seek to export non-contextualised TNE models and, if so, how can this be mitigated?
- While international student and faculty mobility can play a part in strengthening Africa’s tertiary education systems, it also brings with it the challenge of brain drain. How can we maximise the benefit that students and faculty spending time overseas bring back to their home countries? What should responsible host countries do? What is the role of scholarships and of student and researcher exchange? How can we encourage mobility that provides benefits for all and what role do governments play in this?
- Cross-border research collaborations can provide more significant impact and applicability by expanding findings to different populations, regions, and cultures. How can African Universities increase their engagement in international collaborative research and how can they ensure that they receive an equitable share of the benefits? How do international research collaborations align and complement other types of partnerships focused on teaching and student mobility?