Confronting the challenges of graduate education in Sub-Saharan Africa and prospects for the future

Abstract

This study examines the current status of graduate education in Sub-Saharan Africa. How has it been affected by the decline in donor funding, economic crises in much of Africa, the phenomenal growth in undergraduate education, and a shortage of faculty members with PhDs. One of the authors suggested in an earlier study that a short-term response to the shortage of high quality graduate education might be regional graduate centers. Has that taken place? To what extent has graduate education improved and expanded? Where has growth taken place? We explore challenges facing the development of high quality graduate education including those of recruitment and retention, efforts to improve the qualifications of faculty members, funding issues, as well as research and publications. Several innovative graduate programs are examined. Finally, we make recommendations for the growth and quality improvement of graduate education including rekindling a culture of research, a focus on quality teaching, and the critical need for major investments in high quality graduate education.