NEWS AND ANALYSIS ON EDUCATIONAL

PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

© DOMINIC CHAVEZ/WORLD BANK

VOL. XXXIII N°1 JANUARY - JUNE 2017 The changing role of higher education

EDITORIAL
HIGHER EDUCATION HIGHER EDUCATION
AND THE SDGS
ON THE ROAD TO 2030
NEWS
By Michaela Martin, IIEP-UNESCO
MEETING THE
CHALLENGES OF

H
igher education plays an im-
portant, multi-faceted role in
the new global development
agenda, which strives to erad-
icate poverty while addressing social needs
such as education, health, social protection,
job opportunities, climate change and envi-
ronmental sustainability. All of these areas,
and more, are reflected in the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
A GREEN FUTURE
Campuses worldwide are slated to play a
crucial role in driving this ambitious agenda
towards success. They provide the advanced BREAKING BARRIERS
human resources and knowledge needed to GRADUATION DAY FOR
address the complex challenges related to A SUDANESE REFUGEE
sustainable development. The strength of
higher education institutions lies in their
interdisciplinary teaching and research, and HIGHLIGHTS
in their capacity to develop innovative solu- STUDENT EQUITY
tions to global and local problems. ••• IN FRANCE

- W W W. I I E P. U N E S C O . O R G -

EDITORIAL
THE CHANGING
ROLE OF HIGHER
EDUCATION
By Suzanne Grant Lewis, IIEP-UNESCO
Higher education underpins the overall global development agenda.
Universities and colleges are fertile ground for new ideas, innovation and
research that shape key sectors such as health and renewable energy and
policies that help create cohesive and fair societies. Higher education equips
graduates with skills for the workplace, including future teachers who will
prepare the next generation of students. The impact is boundless and helps
set the tone for how the world can achieve not only the education-related
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4), but all 17 goals of the 2030 agenda.
Concurrently, we are faced with an opportunity to reimagine a higher
education sector that can fully respond to the pressures and challenges of
today’s world as well as prepare students for a better future. Higher education
is rapidly expanding, diversifying, and attracting more students from every
background. Yet, as the following pages explain, we also know that as planners
and managers of education systems, we must prepare the sector for this
transformation, open its resources to as many as possible, and ensure that it is
well aligned with the demands set out in the SDGs.
This will entail systemic and institutional changes to ensure that quality does
not diminish and relevancy remains at its highest as the sector continues to
grow apace. It will mean adapting curricula to meet the demands of a green
future, confronting corruption and fraud head on, and opening access to
campuses – both virtually and physically – to as many people as possible,
men, women, and those who have been displaced or have sought refuge
elsewhere.
The effects of instability on higher education can claim lives, destroy
infrastructure and send shock waves throughout an entire education system.
Addressing higher education within conflict settings and crisis-affected
countries is of utmost importance. The advanced skills offered by tertiary
education can help heal a country. Yet, too often, efforts to ameliorate the
devastating impacts of crises on education fall short of including higher
education. At IIEP, this will require us to address the broader definition
of education through sector-wide planning and the establishment of new
partnerships and expertise.
It will be impossible for higher education to fulfill its new central role in the
SDGs unless it provides equal opportunities and access for more students.
A new analysis by IIEP and UNESCO’s GEM report, Six ways to ensure higher
education leaves no one behind, revealed that only 1 per cent of the poorest
have spent more than four years in higher education, compared to 20 per cent
of the richest. A combination of policies, as outlined in the paper, must be
used to guarantee affordability and equitable access. Let’s take advantage of
the sector’s growth before it is too late and work together to ensure that higher
education evolves to serve people in their pursuit of lifelong learning.
2- THE IIEP LETTER VOL. XXXIII N°1 / THE CHANGING ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
IN THIS ISSUE
HIGHER EDUCATION
ON THE ROAD TO 2030.......................... 1
EDITORIAL............................................... 2
MEETING THE CHALLENGES
OF A GREEN FUTURE............................... 4
HOW DOES INTERNAL QUALITY
ASSURANCE IMPACT QUALITY
AND EMPLOYABILITY?.............................. 6
BREAKING BARRIERS
IN EDUCATION........................................ 7
MEET AMINA, A SUDANESE REFUGEE
OVERCOMING CORRUPTION
AND ACADEMIC FRAUD IN HIGHER
EDUCATION.......................................... 8
FROM THE PLANNER'S DESK..................... 9
HIGHER EDUCATION IN TOGO
THE DIFFICULTIES OF REFORMING
HIGHER EDUCATION IN CHILE............... 10
REVIVING HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA .11
NEW PROFESSIONAL PATHS NEEDED
FOR STUDENTS IN MAURITANIA............. 12
PERSPECTIVES..........................................13
HIGHLIGHTS.......................................... 14
ACHIEVING EQUITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
TRAINING PROGRAMMES....................... 15
MONITORING & EVALUATING EDUCATION'S
RESPONSE TO HIV AND AIDS
IIEP PUBLICATIONS...................................16
A TALK WITH THE AUTHOR: N.V. VARGHESE
The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter
are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily
represent the views of UNESCO or IIEP. The designations
employed and the presentation of material throughout
this review do not imply the expression of any opinion
whatsoever on the part of UNESCO or IIEP concerning
the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its
authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries.
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
The IIEP Letter is published twice annually
in English, French, Spanish and Russian.
All articles may be republished with credit
to the authors and IIEP-UNESCO.
Get in touch with us – we welcome your feedback:
NEWSLETTER@IIEP.UNESCO.ORG
I S S N 1 5 6 4 -2 35 6
••• CONTINUED Overall, higher ­edu­ca­­tion
is a pillar to the whole education ­system
through its teacher training and e­ du­cational
research functions.
Education 2030 is much broader than
the earlier Millennium Development Goals,
which focused on primary education and
gender equality. SDG 4, the overarching
goal of Education 2030, aims at ensuring
inclusive and equitable quality education
and promoting lifelong learning opportuni-
ties for all. More precisely, SDG 4 insists on
12 years of free, publicly available basic and
secondary education, of which nine years
are compulsory. It pleads for an integrated
education system, which views higher edu-
cation as part of a lifelong learning system.
And two targets specifically mention high-
er education, with target 4.3 saying that by
2030, equal access for all women and men
to affordable and quality technical, voca-
tional and tertiary education, including
university should be ensured.
BUT SDG 4 ALSO RAISES QUES-
TIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

The recent policy paper, Six ways to ensure

higher education leaves no one behind, by
UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring
Report (GEM Report) and IIEP, discuss-
es some of the implications that the new
agenda has for higher education. For ex-
ample, equal access can imply an equality
of rights or an equality of opportunity ap-
proach. The former one is blind to cultural,
social and economic differences and disad-
vantage, while the second one pleads for
affirmative action policies. Countries will
need to decide which approach they take
according to their particular circumstanc-
es, but the policy paper recommends that,
while affirmative action is controversial, it
may be necessary in contexts with deeply
entrenched inequalities.
The paper also discusses the notion of
affordable higher education. Affordability
means that existing tuition and living costs
are not an obstacle to access, participation
and the success of qualified applicants. Yet,
given the rapid expansion of higher educa-
tion and the inability of the state in many
countries to create a sufficient number of
study places and opportunities for student
support, an increasing share of the higher
education cost has been shifted to house-
holds, including the poorer ones whose
children often access higher education as
the first generation. This basically asks
the question of who should pay for higher
education, and what contribution can be
expected from students and families from
modest backgrounds. Income contingent
student loans with acceptable repayment
plans appear as a solution that combines
financial sustainability with affordability.
The paper calls for this, but it also suggests
that repayments should not be higher than
15 per cent of the gross salary of a former
student.
And there is of course no universal defi-
nition of what constitutes quality higher
education. Countries (through their na-
tional quality assurance systems), higher
education institutions, and professors need
to define quality in regards to disciplinary,
institutional, local, and national circum-
stances. As a consequence, it is difficult to
provide international guidance that goes
beyond existing international codes of good
practices, which are typically very generic.
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
NEED TO FURTHER MOBILIZE FOR
THE SDGS
The future direction that the SDGs pres-
ent to higher education is open to many
national and institutional choices, but it
clearly positions higher education as a le-
ver for sustainable development. The 17
SDGs require strong international coop-
eration in both teaching and research that
can help identify innovative solutions to
ecological and societal challenges. Higher
education institutions need to develop a ho-
listic ­institutional approach to ­sustainable
development, comprising of teaching, re-
search and ecologically sound functioning.
Several global level north-south university
networks do already exist, and some uni-
versities have taken action to systemati-
cally integrate issues related to sustaina-
ble development into their teaching and
research. But many others still need to be
better informed of the SDGs, and they also
have to mobilize their academic communi-
ties to fully engage in this global agenda.
This is especially the case for universities in
industrialized countries and for those not
well-versed in the UN discourse and policy
agenda circles.
Funding bodies for higher education
also need to fully recognize the role that
higher education institutions can play in the
implementation of the SDGs. This includes
targeted scholarship programmes and fund-
ing opportunities that foster inter-universi-
ty collaboration for the d­ evelopment of re-
search and training in SDG related areas.

3
 MEETING THE CHALLENGES
OF A GREEN FUTURE
By Taya Owens, UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report)

Global demand for higher education is on the rise. Now is the time
to rethink curricula and ensure the sector's relevance.

H
igher education is currently confronted with an un-
precedented growth of enrolments. Between 2000
and 2014, the number of students in higher education
institutions more than doubled, rising from 100 mil-
lion to 207 million. In the same period, the global higher edu­cation
gross enrolment ratio increased from 19 per cent to 34 per cent.
As with all global figures, they obscure major differences be-
tween regions: the higher education gross enrolment ratio ­ranges
from an average of 8 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa to 75 per
cent in Europe and Northern America. Nonetheless, over the
last two decades, the number of students participating in higher
edu­cation has also risen in less prosperous regions, where, since
1995, higher education participation rates have grown at an ave­
rage of 4 per cent a year.
Several reasons account for the rise in global participation
rates, including increased demand, greater wealth, more suppor­
tive government policies and a growing sense of responsibility
for social equity. The main driving force has been the increase

4- THE IIEP LETTER VOL. XXXIII N°1 / THE CHANGING ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
 A math lesson in the middle
of nature in Izmir Province, Turkey.
©HEMIS
Tertiary education gross enrolment ratio, by country income group,
1970-2014 (%). Enrolment in upper-middle income countries has
grown by 7% per year in the past 20 years (Source: UIS database).
in ­demand for higher education from the middle classes. The
increased numbers of youth completing primary and secondary
school contribute as well as the higher participation of non-tradi-
tional students, including part-time students and working adults.
Adults (aged 25+) make up more than a third of enrolled under-
graduate students in 10 European countries, while in five coun-
tries at least one in four students is signed up part-time.
REFRAMING A CURRICULUM TO MEET THE DEMANDS
OF A GREEN FUTURE
Enrolling more students may not be sufficient to help us build
sustainable and prosperous societies. The 2016 GEM Report
showed that, by 2020, there could be 40 million too few ­workers
with tertiary education relative to meet demand. Meanwhile,
higher education enrolment is currently weighted towards aca-
demic study programmes with relatively low labour market de-
mand, particularly, in the social and human sciences.
All eyes are on universities and colleges to reframe curricula to
meet the demands of a more sustainable future. Green companies
are already employing millions in high and low income countries,
and these industries are expected to expand in the future. More
jobs will be created in green industries, and some jobs will disap-
pear. All of this will require a major focus on skills development
in an array of academic, professional and technical-vocational
programmes. Both highly skilled workers and workers with tech-
nical training are needed to spur green industries, as well as con-
tinuing training and education for low and medium skill workers
in existing green industries.
INVEST IN KNOWLEDGE AND RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH
Innovation requires cooperation from higher education alongside
research and development (R&D) backed with public funding.
To develop new technologies, higher education systems need
to provide enough researchers and developers with specialist
knowledge and skills.
Green innovation systems depend on public funding since
the private sector may be unable or unwilling to invest in green
technology, especially in early development stages. Public R&D
spending in energy and the environment is only a fraction of total
public R&D budgets – averaging less than 6 per cent in the EU
and less than 12 per cent in the OECD. By comparison, military
public R&D in the US is 30 times as large as the energy R&D.
For higher education systems to provide enough researchers
and developers with specialist knowledge and skills in a wide
range of fields, diverse and specific curricula are needed along
with cooperative study programmes across fields. Major ­emerging
economies such as Brazil and China are expanding their tertiary
education systems with that approach in mind.
The new Sustainable Development Goals demand that we re-
align education and training to make it relevant to the ­changing
workplace. With the number of students enrolling in higher edu­
cation expanding at such a fast pace, there is huge potential to
build a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable future for all. The
time has arrived to transform higher education systems and re-
orient its focus to provide students with the necessary skills for a
green economy.
5
 HOW DOES INTERNAL
QUALITY ASSURANCE
IMPACT QUALITY

© ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

AND EMPLOYABILITY?
By Michaela Martin and Christine Emeran, IIEP-UNESCO

Experiences from eight universities shed light on new tactics for monitoring
academic quality and boosting prospects for graduates.

R
apid change and constant trans-
formation are common themes
today in higher education. The
sector is quickly expanding,
and higher education institutions (HEIs)
and programmes have become much more
diversified and are often privatized. With-
in this context, the quality of institutions
and their programmes are increasingly
questioned. This has triggered the de-
velopment of external quality assurance
(EQA) mecha­ nisms in higher education
throughout the world. Governments are
­ For this purpose, they are systematically
also engaged in the quality control of HEIs
and/or their programmes through periodic
external assessments using accreditation,
quality audits or evaluations.
Although externally driven at the be-
ginning, many HEIs around the world
have also strengthened their internal pro-
cesses to assure academic quality and em-
ployability by applying internal quality
assurance (IQA) mechanisms. For exam-
ple, many HEIs now periodically review
their academic programmes, also in light
of their relevance to the labour market.
collecting data from students, graduates
and employers. But HEIs also face many
challenges in organizing IQA methods. In-
formation systems are often too weak to
support quality analysis in terms of stu-
dent retention and student completion. In-
formation is collected without being used
for planning, resource allocation and de-
cision-making, and there may be internal
resistance to IQA.
IIEP LEADS COMPARATIVE
RESEARCH ON IQA
In 2014, IIEP launched an international
research project focusing on effective IQA

6- THE IIEP LETTER VOL. XXXIII N°1 / THE CHANGING ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

IQA IS MOST EFFECTIVE IF IT LEADS TO A
REGULAR INTERNAL DIALOGUE ON QUALITY.
THIS DIALOGUE IS ALSO THE ULTIMATE
PURPOSE OF IQA AND WILL HELP PAVE THE
WAY TO IMPROVED QUALITY
AND EMPLOYABILITY.
solutions for higher education systems
around the world. The project includes
eight case studies from Austria, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Chile, China, Germany, Kenya,
and South Africa. They were selected for
their innovative practices and strong IQA
principles. An international survey first in-
vestigated state-of-the-art IQA systems in a
broad sample of HEIs worldwide.
The case studies were based on a mul-
ti-stakeholder approach comprising of a
survey of both academic and administra-
tive staff perceptions of IQA, as well as in-
depth interviews with leadership, academic
administrators and students. The overall
goal was to illustrate approaches and op-
tions that can be considered as good prin-
ciples and a source of inspiration to guide
other HEIs in the design and development
of their own IQA systems.
IQA HELPS SPUR REFORMS
The research project found that in the in-
stitutions studied, IQA has helped to ini-
tiate a large set of reforms, particularly in
the domain of teaching and learning where
the introduction of IQA has generally im-
proved the internal coherence of study pro-
grammes as well as their alignment with
labour market needs. In addition, thanks
to IQA, management processes have been
streamlined and better integrated with data
analysis and evaluation. IQA also moti-
vated universities to strengthen their man-
agement information systems and improve
their ability to make evidence-based deci-
sions by collecting survey data from inter-
nal and external stakeholders.
The research data also revealed a num-
ber of common factors for success, although
they largely depended on the context of each
individual institution. Overall, the parti­ ci­
pating universities agreed that leadership
support and stakeholder involvement were
of tremendous importance. The effectiveness
of the IQA system also relied heavily on the
level to which students and staff were aware
of and involved in its processes and tools.
Students and staff felt that they did not re-
ceive enough feedback from certain IQA
tools, such as course evaluations or student
satisfaction surveys, the study found. Finally,
the data from certain tools was not always
used to maximum effect by the intended au-
dience. For instance, the results of graduate
tracer studies were predominantly used by
management rather than academics who
are in charge of the revision of study pro-
grammes. Overall, the study concluded that
IQA is most effective if it leads to a regular
internal dialogue on quality. This dialogue
fosters a quality culture that is also the ul-
timate purpose of IQA and will help pave
the way to improved academic quality and
graduate employability.
Visit http://www.iiep.unesco.org/en/
our-expertise/governance-quality-assur-
ance for more information.

Breaking barriers in education

HIGHER EDUCATION CAN INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION
OF CHANGE-MAKERS. HOWEVER, ONLY 1 PER CENT
OF THE GLOBAL NUMBER OF YOUNG REFUGEES HAS ACCESS
TO THIS LEVEL OF EDUCATION.
The DAFI scholarship, imple-
mented by the UN Refugee Agen-
cy (UNHCR) and funded by the
Government of Germany, is helping
change this reality. Since its incep-
tion in 1992, it has helped over
9,300 young refugees access
higher education, enabling them
to contribute knowledge, skills and
leadership to their communities.
Connected learning programmes are also helping link
hard-to-reach refugees to accredited academic institu-
tions and mentors using information communications
technologies.
Amina, a Sudanese refugee, recently became the first
female DAFI graduate in Chad.
"The graduation ceremony was a deeply moving
day in my life. Despite all difficulties along the way, I
was among the lucky ones to pursue primary and
secondary education as a Sudanese refugee in Chad
and selected for a DAFI scholarship in 2012. Now I have
obtained my degree in Public Law. Refugee women are
often deprived of their right to education, despite its
importance for a person’s whole life. I want to conti-
nue acting as a role model and sensitize both the youth
and parents, as still today girls drop out or are not even
enrolled in school in my community. My dream is to
continue studies up to doctoral level and support my
community in returning back to our home country in
peace. It is not the time to cross our arms, but to act for
a better future.”
As reported in UNHCR’s DAFI 2015 Annual Report. For
more information, visit www.unhcr.org.

7
 OVERCOMING CORRUPTION
AND ACADEMIC FRAUD
IN HIGHER EDUCATION
By Muriel Poisson, IIEP-UNESCO

Fighting corruption in higher education has taken on new urgency

– for never before has the crucial role of higher education
in building sustainable, prosperous societies been so clear.

© FAUSTIN TUYAMBAZE

I
n Japan, former high-level government
officials stepped down after revelations
that they illegally obtained post-re-
tirement university posts. In Kenya, a
government crackdown has sought to elim-
inate widespread cheating. In Colombia, in-
vestigations are looking into entrance exam
fraud. In Malaysia, a national PhD registry
aims to curb the production and usage of
fraudulent academic titles and a Pakistani
company accused of defrauding tens of
thousands of students in the United States
by selling them below-standard course-
work faces charges. All of these examples
­illustrate not only the magnitude of corrup-
tion and fraudulent practices in higher edu-
cation worldwide, but the ­various attempts
to clean up the sector.
Creating incentives to fight corruption
and academic fraud is not an easy task, par-
ticularly in a context where the increased
autonomy given to universities has not al-
ways been counterbalanced by a­ ppropriate
accountability mechanisms; and where
­capa­cities to regulate and control corrup-
tion and fraud also remain limited.
Nevertheless, the pressing need to
impro­ve higher education integrity is like-
ly to grow over the coming years. Stake­
holders are better positioned today to
­ easure the harmful effects of loss of re-
m
sources and credibility caused by fraudu-
lent practices. Those with vested interests
include funders concerned with the efficient
use of available resources, higher education
institutions (HEIs) needing to maintain
trust in the diplomas that they deliver, em-
ployers who have to rely on the validity of
higher edu­cation credentials, and individu-
als who can be easily tarnished by allega-
tions of ­corruption or fraud that can spread
more easily today via the Internet
Examples of effective actions to prevent
corruption and enhance integrity in ­higher
education were recently outlined by the

8- THE IIEP LETTER VOL. XXXIII N°1 / THE CHANGING ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Advisory Statement published by IIEP and
CHEA*. It includes, but is not limited to:
• imposing sanctions on government
officials and HEI staff who present
­ sector; on how to review q ­ uality assurance
phony qualifications;
• putting appeals processes in place for
academic and administrative decisions;
• developing international security
standards for documents relating to
higher education credentials;
• excluding individuals in conflict of in-
terest as members of quality assurance
panels;
• monitoring the behaviour of recruit-
ment agents for observance of HEI’s
requirements and the law;
• including higher education in consum-
er protection legislation on marketing
and advertising;
• and passing legislation to protect whis-
tle-blowers.
Testimonies from countries such as Mo-
rocco, Lithuania, or the UK that have test-
ed some of these approaches are featured
on IIEP’s ETICO Platform of resources. To
move ahead, further reflection and exchange
is needed on how integrity indicators can
be included in traditional diagnoses of the
higher education sector; on how govern-
ments and HEIs can design charts of ethics
and codes of conduct and adapt the norms
and procedures that they use to manage the FURTHER REFLECTION
AND EXCHANGE
standards and mechanisms to ensure that
IS NEEDED ON
they better include integrity concerns; and
finally on how to encourage stronger public
HOW INTEGRITY
access to information. This is a must to en- INDICATORS CAN
able the entire higher education community BE INCLUDED IN
to take further action. TRADITIONAL
DIAGNOSES OF THE
*IIEP and CHEA/CIQG, 2016, Advi-
HIGHER EDUCATION
sory Statement for Effective International
Practice. Combatting Corruption and En-
SECTOR.
hancing Integrity: A Contemporary Chal-
lenge for the Quality and Credibility of
Higher Education.
Visit the ETICO Platform of resources
on ethics and corruption in education at:
http://etico.iiep.unesco.org.

From the planner's desk

A recent reform in Togo was introduced to improve planning processes and the quality of higher
education. IIEP caught up with Jervis Zogbema, Head of the Foresight Directorate of Planning,
Education and Evaluation of Togo’s Ministry of Higher Education, to hear more about it.

IIEP: Which aspect of the reform has contributed the most to
improving the quality of Togo’s higher education?
The recent emphasis on quality assurance has improved
educational quality. The integrated system, which manages all the
components of the university structure, has facilitated the monitoring
of student enrolment as well as the management of their careers,
scholarships, diplomas, examinations, and the overall financial
and human resources. It has also improved the communication
between all members of the higher education community. The
integrated system also serves as a tool for decision-making and
good governance.
country’s dynamic 2025 vision of education. It aims at achieving
a better balance between education’s supply and demand; it
guarantees greater equity in the access to higher education,
especially for girls, women and the most disadvantaged groups;
and strengthens the link between academia and the labour market.
Through this reform, the usual university education based on
general and theoretical knowledge is left behind to move towards
more specialized and professional training, in close relation with
each region’s field of activities. This is a real gain for the Togolese
workforce.

IIEP: Similarly, which aspect has had the biggest impact on

planning processes?
The development of Togo’s university map has clearly contributed
to the improvement of higher education planning and reflects the

9
 THE DIFFICULTIES OF
REFORMING HIGHER
EDUCATION IN CHILE
By María José Lemaitre, Centro Interuniversitario de Desarrollo (CINDA)

A long-awaited proposal to reform

higher education meets strong opposition,
from stakeholders and policy-makers.

A
s Chilean voters went to the
polls in the 2013 general elec-
tion, there was a clear consensus
across society about the need to
reform higher education. Michelle Bachelet
was elected with the promise to address the
main issues facing the sector: the recognition
of higher education as a social right, rath-
er than a consumer good; the s­ trengthening
of public higher education, which operated
under a private approach with very limited
public funding; the need to improve the ac-
countability and quality of its offerings; and

© OSMAR VALDEBENITO/CREATIVE COMMMONS

most urgently, to reduce the financial burden
on undergraduate students.
The government embarked on an ambi-
tious plan to collect opinions: commissions
were formed, representatives from many
different institutions and associations were
consulted, and an Advisory Council was
appointed. Meanwhile, the Ministry of
Education worked silently and secretively
in preparing the reform. After much delay,
it was finally introduced on 4 July 2016.
It was strongly criticized from all possi-
ble fronts for ignoring the realities of a
­highly diversified, massive higher education
system, for being based on an arbitrary
­ the government and the normal institu-
­diagnosis, which seemed designed to jus-
tify certain measures, rather than to paint
an accurate picture of its strengths and
weaknesses, and for ignoring the opinions
of experts and the participants in the con-
sultation process.
Earlier, in May 2015, with the Presi-
dent’s popularity systematically declining,
her advisors decided to advance a campaign
promise: all students in the bottom 50 per
cent of income distribution would be able
to study without paying tuition. Universi-
ties could freely adhere to the scheme, but
technical and vocational schools were ex-
cluded (however, they are now eligible, pro-
vided they are truly organized as non-profit
organizations).
Signs in front of the University of Chile read "The fight is
of the whole society / Everybody for free education" in July 2011.
The promise of free tuition profoundly
impacted the contents of the reform: free
tuition inevitably translated into a signifi-
cant gap between the income received from
tional budget, putting higher education in-
stitutions in financial risk. As a result, the
debate moved from the conceptual aspects
of the reform to a corporate defence of in-
stitutional interests, resulting in a fragmen­
ted higher education sector and a myriad of
interest groups.
The reform is now stalled before parlia-
ment. Furthermore, the current draft falls
short on addressing the main challenges
related to its accountability, quality, and
affordability. Most of the higher educa-
tion system in Chile is still under market
regulation and while the government has
promised to address in a different propo­
sal the issues related to the country’s public
universities, nothing has happened – and
time is running out. The much contested
quality assurance mechanism is being kept
without any major changes. Free tuition
is perhaps the exception, but it is argued
that the financial burden it imposes on in-
stitutions jeopardizes the goal of improved
quality, which was one of the reform’s key
­objectives.
The Ministry of Education introduced
some revisions to the proposed reform.
However, there has been little progress
and the changes appear to pacify specific
interest groups rather than to respond to
the needs of the sector. Higher education
reform in Chile faced a rare window of op-
portunity, yet it was slammed shut due to
the inept handling of the process.

10 - THE IIEP LETTER VOL. XXXIII N°1 / THE CHANGING ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

REVIVING HIGHER
EDUCATION IN INDIA
By N.V. Varghese, National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA)
More and more students are attending university
– the challenge now is how to promote equity and quality
in a country rife with social disparities.
T
his century has witnessed a re-
vival of higher education reforms
worldwide. India is no exception.
Several reform measures recently
introduced have contributed to the expan-
sion of the system, quality improvement and
enhanced relevance.
REFORMS TO EXPAND THE SYSTEM
India’s higher education sector has moved
from a period of slow growth and low
gross enrolment ratios (GERs) to an era of
unprecedented expansion. Over the past
15 years, student enrolment has quadru-
pled to reach 34 million with a GER of
24 percent in 2015-2016. The size of In-
dia’s education system has now surpassed
the United States, becoming the world’s sec-
ond largest after China.
Massification of the education system
has relied heavily on non-state funding.
Market friendly reforms introduced by
the state include cost recovery measures in
public institutions and the promotion of
the private sector to own and operate uni-
versities. While privatization started slow,
private universities are proliferating, and
now account for more than 60 per cent of
the enrolment share both in terms of insti-
tutions and enrolment. Massification in In-
dia is also accompanied by persisting social
The University of Delhi
main building.
©WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
inequalities and widening regional inequa­ REFORMS TO ENHANCE RELEVANCE
lities in enrolment in higher education. Despite the sector’s growth, many ­employers
REFORMS TOIMPROVE QUALITY in India have lost confidence in the quality
of the qualifications awarded by the coun-
India established external quality assurance try’s universities. It is questioned whether
agencies and internal quality assurance these universities offer the skills and com-
mechanisms to enhance higher education petencies to its graduates as expected by
quality. Although accreditation is manda- the labour market. In order to regain the
tory to obtain public funding, a majority credibility and enhance the relevance of
of private higher education institutions still ­university qualifications, India is now in the
remain non-accredited. process of developing a National Higher
Ranking has been another effort to en- Education Qualification Framework, which
hance quality. Indian institutions do not fare is focusing on learning outcomes, employa-
well in the world ranking of universities. In bility skills and competencies. This follows
response, India initiated a national rank- the 2013 development of a National Skills
ing process with the National Institution- Qualifications Framework.
al Ranking Framework in 2015. The first
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
results published in April 2016 and 2017
clearly indicated that the top ranking in- The massification of higher education has
stitutions are mostly public funded Central been accompanied by a widening of regional
universities. disparities, persisting social inequalities and
It is currently believed that creating commercialization of the sector. The chal-
world class universities will boost India’s lenge now is to address the issues of equity
position in the global rankings. This has and diversity to provide affordable, quality
also prompted India to plan to support the higher education in a period of market-led
creation of 20 world class universities in reforms. It is hoped that the national policy
the immediate future. It appears that In- on education currently in development will
dia, like many other developing countries, address some of these concerns.
is on a fast track towards the reorientation
of existing institutions into world class
universities.
11
 NEW PROFESSIONAL PATHS NEEDED
FOR STUDENTS IN MAURITANIA
A new IIEP Pôle de Dakar research study
is looking at how to better align higher education
with a changing economy.

By Olivier Pieume and Koffi Segniagbeto, IIEP Pôle de Dakar

W
hile higher education in
Mauritania is overall less
developed than nearby
countries, the sector is also
characterized by a large number of students
who are pursuing long-cycle higher educa-
tion rather than short cycle. For example,
72 per cent of higher education graduates
have a diploma equivalent or higher than
a master’s degree, according to the 2013
general population and housing census.
This appears inconsistent with the realities
of the economy where informal employ-
ment stands at 85 per cent. The Maurita-
nian situation is rather unique. Even in
OECD countries where the informal sector
is weak, the majority of higher education
graduates have diplomas below or equal to
a bachelor's degree.
To better match higher education with
the economy, both a diversification of voca-
tional programmes and improved manage-
ment of entering students are required. This
could include short courses that respond
to market needs. Projections show that by
2030, most jobs for graduates will come
from the manufacturing, water and energy
sectors. The number of jobs requiring high-
er education qualifications in these sectors
is expected to increase six times over the
next fifteen years (Table 1). On the other
hand, the fishing and mining sectors are ex-
pected to see one quarter of jobs disappear.
If the coverage of higher education
in Mauritania is less compared to simi-
lar countries, the sector’s expansion will
have to be achieved through the devel-
opment of short vocational training that
is more labour intensive. To do this, the
subsector must have a real academic and
professional outlook integrated into its
structure. ­
­ Otherwise, it will remain a
missed ­op­­por­tunity for students. For exam-
ple, it can take up to five years for half of
a ­graduating class each year to find a job
placement, according to an IIEP Pôle de
Dakar 2012 national survey. Both during
studies and after ­graduation, students lack
access to information on the opportunities
offered in the labour market. This is a ma-
jor barrier to better integrating graduates
into the Mauritanian economy.

Table 1: Medium-term projection of skilled labour needs by economic sector.

Number of jobs Number of projected Total number of jobs Growth over

Activity sector
in 2015 jobs in 2030 created over the period the period
Agriculture, 665 2,242 1,577 237%
forestry, etc.
Fishing 617 470 -147 -24%
Mining 2,365 1,984 -381 -16%
Manufacturing, 3,173 19,193 16,020 505%
water and energy
Construction industry 1,376 2,134 758 55%
Service 30,399 35,776 5,377 18%
Total 38,595 61,799 23,204 60%
Source: Calculations based on Ministry of Employment data.

12 - THE IIEP LETTER VOL. XXXIII N°1 / THE CHANGING ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
 P E
HOW DOES THE COST OF HIGHER
EDUCATION IMPACT YOUR STUDIES?
Join the conversation on Twitter @IIEP_UNESCO
Vivek Dsoüza
Political Science graduate student at the
University of Mumbai
FROM INDIA
I think higher education is becoming more and more
important because of the complexities and diversities of
the job market. In India, most of the education facilities
provided by government institutes are affordable, however
they lack in practical and technical expertise, skills, etc.
Graduation doesn't really make you qualified for the job
market. However, private institutes affiliated to universities
abroad with their exchange programmes, internships and
dual degree programs are better equipped with modern
technology and expertise in that sense, but they are very
expensive and only cater to a particular class of society.
Indians are, however, aware of the plethora of
opportunities by way of scholarships and grants that
universities abroad provide in terms of higher education
and livability. Platforms like DAAD and Fulbright
Scholarships set standards for students to aspire and work
hard in order to achieve such meritorious scholarships.
But yes, cost does impact studies. Young people can
be empowered if the same education can be provided
at an affordable cost, and if the number of scholarships
increase for the student pool. Cost factor is an important
factor especially when students wish to further their
knowledge in the home country or study abroad. It makes
them take out loans and other forms of funding to
support their study. However, I would like to point out
that the "cycle" of taking out loans especially in an
economy that is competitive and expensive can be quite
a risk and especially for engineering, banking and
finance, MBA degrees, and degrees that have huge
tuition but are only one year degree programmes.
JOIN US ON LINKEDIN, FACEBOOK AND TWITTER
R S P E C T I V E S
FROM FINLAND
I'M DEFINITELY ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES
SINCE MY UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IS COMPLETELY
FREE FOR ME. IN FINLAND, WHERE I LIVE AND
Anna-Maarit STUDY, OUR EDUCATION IS PROVIDED BY THE
Rahja GOVERNMENT. BUT I DO RECOGNIZE THE
Lifelong learning CHALLENGES THAT MAY COME WHEN EDUCATION
and education
IS TO BE PAID BY THE STUDENTS OR OTHERS.
student at the
University of
Tampere
María Camila Suarez
Law student at the University Simón Bolívar de
Cúcuta
FROM COLOMBIA
The cost of higher education was the
determining factor in selecting which
University I’d attend. Although there
are good quality public universities,
their selection process is extremely
demanding. Good quality private
universities are only accessible to those
who have a high family income or who
have the best grades.
Due to my family’s income,
I have to attend a university that does
not meet my academic objectives.
Throughout the years, fees have
augmented to the point that my
parents have been forced to get a loan
so that I can finalize my studies and
pursue my professional goals.
13
 H I G H L I G H T S

© IIEP-UNESCO
S T R AT E G I C D E B AT E

ACHIEVING EQUITY
IN HIGHER EDUCATION
By Juana Barragán Díaz, IIEP-UNESCO

IIEP convened a strategic debate this past May on what can be done
to strengthen equity between students in higher education.

O
ver the past several decades, more and more young
people in France have been able to access higher
education. In 1960, 310,000 students were enrolled
in higher education. Fast forward a half century and
the number multiplied by more than eight, reaching 2,551,000
by 2015. In absolute terms, progress appears evident. Yet, in
relative terms, students from disadvantaged backgrounds re-
main underrepresented in France’s higher education system. For
example, 10.8 per cent of university students have parents who
are workers, while 30 per cent have parents who hold manage-
rial positions or who perform a higher intellectual profession.
The gap is even more striking in the most prestigious schools
(Écoles normales supérieures), where the figures are 2.7 per cent
and 53.2 per cent respectively. And yet, workers account for
nearly a fifth of the French population.
Student inequity in higher education is also a global issue,
which has become more severe alongside issues of ­educational
affordability. Indeed, the costs of higher education are increas-
ingly shouldered by households. On average, in European coun-
tries, 15  per cent of the cost of higher education is paid by
households, whereas outside Europe, households cover between
40 to 50 per cent, as revealed in the recent UNESCO's Global
Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report) and IIEP policy
paper Six ways to ensure higher education leaves no one behind.
However, initiatives to tackle inequity are emerging. In
France, Pierre Mathiot, the former Director of Sciences Po Lille
in Northern France, who was a key speaker at the IIEP Stra-
tegic Debate, founded the Integrated Studies Program (PEI in
French) in 2007. To date, PEI has helped prepare 3,200 students
from modest backgrounds for higher education. The approach
includes tutorials organized by university students who super-
vise high school students for four years, university visits and
the establishment of local partnerships between universities,
schools and associations. Mathiot believes information needs
to be provided to high school students, as well as their sense of
legitimacy and self-confidence reinforced.
IIEP's second 2017 Strategic Debate was devoted to this issue
of access and its message was clear: it is possible to strengthen
equity between students in higher education. Initiatives such as
the PEI demonstrate this. With a "bottom-up" approach –based
on field experiences –states can tailor decision-making to local
contexts. However, it is important to remember to c­ ontinue to
collect data, including qualitative assessments, to have a clearer,
more reliable picture of equity in higher education.

14 - THE IIEP LETTER VOL. XXXIII N°1 / THE CHANGING ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
 T R A I N I N G P R O G R A M M E S

MONITORING & EVALUATING

EDUCATION'S RESPONSE TO
HIV AND AIDS
By Stephanie Dolata, IIEP-UNESCO

I
IEP’s Virtual Campus offered for
the first time the distance education
course on ‘Quantitative Methods in
Monitoring and Evaluating the Edu-
cation Sector Response to HIV and AIDS’.
Monitoring and evaluating the role of
education in the overall response to the HIV
and AIDS epidemic is critical for countries
to improve their policies and school-based
programmes. But this can be challenging
and there are many elements to contend
with, such as what to measure, over what
period, and with what resources.

The six-week course, which ran from
24 April to 2 June, was designed to rein-
force participants' skills in collecting and
reporting for core indicators, and in for-
mulating policies in order to monitor and
evaluate the education sector's response to
HIV and AIDS.
Some 20 national teams, representing a
total of 82 participants, from 15 countries
in Africa followed the course. Participants
were mainly planners, managers of the Ed-
ucational Information Management Infor-
mation System (EMIS) within ministries of
education, HIV and AIDS coordinators,
and national and regional administrators
of UNESCO.
Built around three modules, the course
started with an update from Christopher
Castle, UNESCO’s Global Coordinator for
HIV and AIDS, and the Chief of the S­ ection
of Health and Education, who highlighted
the important role of education in ending
HIV and AIDS and promoting the health
and well-being of all children and youth.
A sign reminds students in Livingston, Zambia to visit the health centre.
He also stressed the importance of mea­
suring progress through basic indicators,
including those recommended in the
UNESCO Global Guidelines Measuring
­ with an opportunity to present, analyse,
the education sector response to HIV and
AIDS: Guidelines for the construction and
use of core indicators.
The second module looked at the sta-
tus of data collection tools. The quality
of data collected has a direct impact on
the quality of analysis and ultimately, the
policy decisions related to HIV and AIDS.
Course participants critically examined
the Annual School Census (ASC) question-
naire and School-Based Survey question-
naire to construct the core indicators and
additional indicators that are relevant for
the country context. The examination pro-
cess confronted two main challenges: the
© IIEP-UNESCO
level of inclusion of core indicators and the
collection of disaggregated data.
The last module provided participants
and interpret the calculated core indicators
using country data and ‘dummy’ tables
designed to ensure consistency with The
UNESCO Global Guidelines and the com-
parability of results. The purpose of this
guided work was not only to help partici-
pants describe the current status and pro-
gress of the education sector in responding
to HIV and AIDS, but also to help them
translate the findings into educational pol-
icy options.
Visit the UNESCO HIV and Health
Education Clearinghouse: http://hivhealth-
clearinghouse.unesco.org/.

REMEMBERING KHALIL MAHSHI AND JUAN CARLOS TEDESCO

THE IIEP COMMUNITY MOURNS THE LOSS OF TWO PREVIOUS DIRECTORS. KHALIL MAHSHI JOINED IIEP IN 2001
AND SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR FROM 2010 TO 2014. FORMER MINISTER OF EDUCATION IN ARGENTINA,
JUAN CARLOS TEDESCO WAS THE FIRST HEAD OF OFFICE OF IIEP BUENOS AIRES FROM 1998 TO 2005.
BOTH COLLEAGUES WILL BE SORELY MISSED, BUT THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO EDUCATION NEVER FORGOTTEN.

15
 I I E P P U B L I C A T I O N S

IIEP Policy Brief

IIEP PolicyL eBrief
ssons learned

Reforms and changes in governance of higher education in Africa

International Institute International Institute International Institute International Institute International Institute International Institute International Institute International Institute
for Educational Planning for Educational Planningfor Educational Planningfor Educational Planning for Educational Planning for Educational Planningfor Educational Planning for Educational Planning

About the Book

Higher education in Africa has received favourable political International Institute
for Educational Planning

attention and funding support in the period following

Conflict-sensitive and risk-informed
From Externally
FromFrom
Externally
From
to
Externally
Internally
Externally
toFrom
Internally
to Externally
From
Internally
to From
Internally
Externally
to
Externally
From
Internally
toExternally
Internally
to Internally
to Internally independence. The rationale for state funding was questioned in
the 1980s, and the higher education reforms in the 1990s centred planning in education
Lessons learned
DrivenDriven
Quality
Driven
Quality
Assurance
Driven
Quality
Assurance
Quality
Driven
Assurance
Driven
Quality
Assurance
Driven
Quality
Assurance
Driven
Quality
Assurance
Quality
Assurance
Assurance on finding alternative ways of financing and on improving the

Reforms and changes

y
y
y
y
S t udy
S t udy
S t udy
S t udy
managerial efficiency of universities. This focus was reflected in
University
University
of Bahrain
University
of Bahrain
University
of Bahrain
University
of Bahrain
University
of Bahrain
University
of Bahrain
University
of Bahrain
of Bahrain the market-friendly reforms that led to the privatization of public
institutions and the promotion of private institutions. These reforms
Introduction Addressing crisis through conflict-
sensitive and risk-informed planning

in governance of higher
d
d
d
d

resulted in substantial changes in the governance and management Worldwide, one in six school-age children are Education, when planned in a crisis-sensitive and
of higher education. affected when a country experiences conflict and risk-informed manner, can contribute to preventing
protracted crises such as war, disasters, and public and mitigating conflict and disaster. When equal

education in Africa health emergencies. One in three of the world’s access to all levels of education is assured, schools
u
u
u
u

IIEP initiated a research study to analyse the reforms and to 121 million out-of-school children live in fragile or can provide safe learning environments, encourage
conflict-affected situations (GPE, 2016). Natural social cohesion, enhance the safety and well-being
understand their effects on the governance of higher education and human-made disasters can have a devastating of teachers and learners, and help build a peaceful
at institutional and national levels. Based on studies carried out in effect on education systems, destroying or damaging society. Educational planning which is sensitive
t
t
t
t

Bassam AlHamad
Bassam
and
AlHamad
Bassam and
AlHamad
Bassam and
AlHamad
Bassam
and AlHamad
Bassam
and
AlHamad
Bassam and
AlHamad
Bassam
and AlHamad
Ethiopia, andKenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, this book shows
Ghana, essential infrastructure, interrupting the school to the causes and triggers of conflict, and which
Rama Aladwan
Rama Aladwan
Rama Aladwan
Rama Aladwan Rama Aladwan
Rama Aladwan
Rama Aladwan Rama Aladwan year, and jeopardizing past education gains and addresses potential natural hazards, can reduce –
how the reforms have effected changes in the governance and Edited by investments. To cite a few examples: in Burkina and sometimes prevent – the effects of conflict and
S
S
S
S

management of institutions of higher education in Africa. Faso, the September 2009 floods affected 38,000 disasters on education, saving lives in the process. In
N.V. Varghese students and damaged 405 schools. In South Sudan, addition, conflict-sensitive and risk-informed planning
Bahrain Bahrain Bahrain Bahrain Bahrain Bahrain Bahrain Bahrain the resurgence of violence in 2013 closed more than
1,000 schools, while some 90 schools were occupied
can be cost-efficient, protecting investments in
infrastructure, equipment, and supplies. It has been
About the Editor by armed forces and internally displaced persons estimated that every dollar invested in disaster risk
(IDPs) (Lotyam and Arden, 2015). In northern Uganda, reduction can save $4 to $7 in reconstruction costs
e
e
e
e
C a se
C a se
C a se
C a se
during two decades of civil war, 60,000 children were (IIEP-UNESCO, 2015).
N.V. Varghese is Director of the Centre for Policy Research in Higher abducted, many becoming child soldiers; half of
Education (CPRHE), at the National University of Educational primary school students dropped out of school, and Crisis-sensitive planning is mindful of the bidirectional
90 per cent of schools were damaged or destroyed. relationship between education, on the one hand,
Planning and Administration (NUEPA), New Delhi, India. Previously, and conflict and disaster risks, on the other. It
s
s
s
s

More recently, disasters and inter-ethnic violence

he was Head of Governance and Management in Education at in the country have resulted in closed or destroyed also considers how conflict and disaster can
schools, and even cost learners their lives (Knutzen themselves be interrelated (e.g. when a drought
UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), increases social tensions between groups).
and Smith, 2012).
a
a
a
a

which he joined in 1999. He has published many books and articles

in the areas of educational planning, financing of education, quality
of primary education, and higher education.
C
C
C
C

Edited by N.V. Varghese

International Institute
for Educational Planning

© IIEP-UNESCO/ Anna Seeger

New trends inNew
higher
trends
education
New
in higher
trends
education
New
in higher
trendseducation
in higher
Neweducation
trends inNew
higher
trends
education
New
in higher
trends
education
in higher
New trends
education
in higher education
International Institute
for Educational Planning ISBN: 978-92-803-1408-3
Bahrain cov.indd 2 Bahrain cov.indd 2 Bahrain cov.indd 2 Bahrain cov.indd 2 Bahrain cov.indd 2 Bahrain cov.indd 2 Bahrain cov.indd 2 29/05/2017
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12:40:222 29/05/2017 12:40:22 29/05/2017 12:40:22 29/05/2017 12:40:22 29/05/2017 12:40:22 29/05/2017 12:40:22 29/05/2017 12:40:22 29/05/2017 12:40:22

New trends in higher education

COV_ New trends Varghese.indd 1 05/12/2016 10:35:12

EXPLORING INTERNAL REFORMS AND CHANGES CONFLICT-SENSITIVE

QUALITY ASSURANCE IN GOVERNANCE AND RISK-INFORMED
SYSTEMS (IQA) OF HIGHER EDUCATION PLANNING IN
Project coordinated IN AFRICA EDUCATION: LESSONS
by Michaela Martin, LEARNED
N.V. Varghese
IIEP-UNESCO Based on studies carried out in IIEP-UNESCO
A series of case studies from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nige- This policy brief presents lessons
eight countries worldwide ria, and South Africa, this book learned and recommendations
look at IQA systems within shows how the reforms have based on the experiences of three
different national and insti- led to changes in the gover­ countries, which have addressed
tutional contexts to highlight nance and management of in- conflict and disaster risks in their
the contrasting approaches to stitutions of higher education educational planning processes,
IQA. in Africa. with technical support from IIEP.

DOWNLOAD ALL IIEP PUBLICATIONS FREE OF CHARGE OR ORDER A HARD COPY AT PUBLICATIONS.IIEP.UNESCO.ORG

A talk with the author

FOLLOWING GLOBAL TRENDS, HIGHER EDUCATION IS FAST EXPANDING
ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT. PROFESSOR N.V. VARGHESE FROM INDIA'S
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION
(NUEPA), DISCUSSES WHAT'S BEHIND HIS NEW PUBLICATION, 'REFORMS
AND CHANGES IN GOVERNANCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN AFRICA'.

IIEP: Why is the topic of grammes of study and sources of funding, IIEP: What are the challenges 
­governance reform in higher greater institutional autonomy and improved that remain?
education in Africa important? operational efficiency and accountability of N.V.V: First, the role of the state needs to
N.V.V: Higher education in Africa was po- higher education institutions. The study ex- be redefined more in terms of providing a
litically supported and relatively well-fund- plored the impact of these reforms in Ethio- framework for institutional functioning and
ed in the period following independence. pia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. regulating the system rather than controlling
Howe-ver, state funding was questioned and managing the system. Second, most re-
in the 1980s and the reforms of the 1990s "African higher education has come forms are resource-constrained initiatives.
strived to find alternative ways to finance a long way since the first students There is a need for reforms focusing on
higher edu­
cation through privatization and graduated from an African institution enhancing learning outcomes and research
improve the management of universities. (Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone) productivity of higher education institutions
It’s important to study the consequences of in 1879. Some 5.2 million students in Africa.
these ­
reforms to better understand current enrolled in African institutions
changes in the governance of higher educa- of higher education in 2010. Find the publication at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/
tion both at institutional and national levels. However, the average GER images­/0024/002454/245404e.pdf.
IIEP: What are some of the most in sub-Saharan African countries
striking results of these reforms? is only 7 per cent, the lowest for
N.V.V: Many of the reforms contributed to any region in the world."
the expansion of the system, diversified pro-

16 - THE IIEP LETTER VOL. XXXIII N°1 / THE CHANGING ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION