Africa is the world’s fastest-growing area, with a inhabitants of over one billion individuals, round 60% of whom are below the age of 25. By 2050, there shall be near 2.5 billion individuals on the continent, accounting for greater than 1 / 4 of the world’s inhabitants.
This “youth dividend” presents a big alternative. Nevertheless, it’s also prone to place additional strain on present socio-economic constructions, which should develop with demand in a approach that’s sustainable and equitable if the massive potential of Africa’s younger individuals is to be realised.
How can tertiary schooling suppliers – universities, schools, and others – stay related and ship data, expertise and {qualifications} that meet societal wants and greatest put together younger individuals for the longer term, in a world the place labour market necessities are present process profound adjustments? How can analysis and innovation assist deal with evolving wants? What’s hindering institutional and system alignment to the altering panorama and what components might assist speed up innovation and optimistic change?
These are simply a few of the matters that we’ll be discussing this week in Abuja, Nigeria on the British Council’s regional Going International convention. Since its inception in 2004, Going International has served as a strategic discussion board for leaders in worldwide schooling to share data, construct worldwide networks and form the way forward for greater schooling. Our 2023 international convention centred its discussions on establishing sustainable, scalable, and equitable partnerships in tertiary schooling. The 2024 convention goals to proceed this theme however via a regional lens, taking a look at how worldwide schooling partnerships can deal with Africa’s wants most successfully.
Tertiary schooling has a pivotal function to play in realising the potential of Africa’s demographic dividend. Its suppliers should develop capability to create and curate new analysis, to nurture educated and expert residents able to contributing to their nations’ growth, and to attach international locations to one another and to the broader world.
There’s vital underfunding at nationwide stage throughout the continent, together with for analysis, which for greater schooling stands at a median of 0.38% of GDP in Africa in comparison with 2.25% in Europe and North America. Africa must develop its personal analysis base to assist the creation and utilisation of related data and innovation.
Worldwide analysis collaborations might assist African developments in science to deal with shared international issues and assist navigate social and geopolitical challenges. Tertiary schooling additionally stays out of attain for a lot of of Africa’s poorest and most marginalised: ladies in rural areas, individuals dwelling with disabilities and forcibly displaced individuals. To deal with such challenges, the sector must develop sustainably and at tempo whereas creating coverage and sensible options for improved entry, fairness and non-discrimination, financing, and governance.
Tertiary schooling has a pivotal function to play in realising the potential of Africa’s demographic dividend
This can require a collective effort and assist from governments, business, and worldwide companions. Worldwide partnerships are sometimes seen as a significant component for progress, for constructing capability and growing high quality and relevance inside tertiary schooling methods, however the alternatives and challenges confronted by African tertiary schooling establishments when working with companions abroad should be understood. We additionally have to develop a spread of financially sustainable fashions for collaboration that discover how transnational schooling be supplied at scale to ship mutual advantages.
Whereas worldwide scholar and school mobility can play an element in strengthening Africa’s tertiary schooling methods, it additionally brings with it the problem of mind drain. We’d like mobility provides that allow college students and school to maximise their time abroad and convey new data, expertise and connections again to their dwelling international locations. This requires host international locations to be accountable in designing scholarships and researcher exchanges.
All this and way more shall be mentioned all through the week in Abuja. We’re grateful to the Federal Authorities of Nigeria, the Ministry of Schooling, and the Nationwide Universities Fee, all of whom the British Council in Nigeria has long-standing optimistic relationships, and we count on participation from throughout continent together with Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mauritius, Uganda, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, with many UK sector colleagues additionally in attendance.
Going International is about presenting the UK as a world schooling accomplice for reaching nationwide and regional objectives throughout the continent, for growing collaborations between Africa and the UK and for fostering sustainable partnerships. The aim of all that is, in the end, to enhance outcomes and supply alternatives for younger individuals from throughout the continent – and to construct optimistic relationships with the UK.
Concerning the writer: Maddalaine Ansell is director schooling on the British Council.
