STRENGTHENING UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY LINKAGES IN AFRICA A Study on Institutional Capacities and Gaps JOHN SSEBUWUFU, TERALYNN LUDWICK AND MARGAUX BÉLAND Funded by the Canadian Government through CIDA Canadian International Agence canadienne de Development Agency développement international STRENGTHENING UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY LINKAGES IN AFRICA: A Study on Institutional Capacities and Gaps Prof. John Ssebuwufu Director, Research & Programmes Association of African Universities (AAU) Teralynn Ludwick Research Officer AAU Research and Programmes Department / AUCC Partnership Programmes Margaux Béland Director, Partnership Programmes Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) Currently on secondment to the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) Strengthening University-Industry Linkages in Africa: A Study of Institutional Capacities and Gaps @ 2012 Association of African Universities (AAU) All rights reserved Printed in Ghana Association of African Universities (AAU) 11 Aviation Road Extension P.O. Box 5744 Accra-North Ghana Tel: +233 (0) 302 774495/761588 Fax: +233 (0) 302 774821 Email: [email protected], [email protected] Web site: http://www.aau.org This study was undertaken by the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) as part of the project, Strengthening Higher Education Stakeholder Relations in Africa (SHESRA). The project is generously funded by Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The views and opinions expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and should not be attributed to CIDA, AAU or AUCC. Strengthening University-Industry Linkages in Africa: A Study of Institutional Capacities and Gaps ACRONYMS AAU Association of African Universities AUCC Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada CIDA Canadian International Development Agency GDP Gross Domestic Product GERD Gross Expenditure on Research and Development HEIs Higher Education Institutions ICT Information and Communication Technologies IP Intellectual Property IPR Intellectual Property Rights NIS National Innovation Systems SADC Southern African Development Community SHESRA Strengthening Higher Education Stakeholder Relations in Africa SMEs Small and Medium-sized Enterprises U-I University-Industry VC Vice-Chancellor Strengthening University-Industry Linkages in Africa: A Study of Institutional Capacities and Gaps ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors of this paper would like to recognize the contributions of a number of staff of the AAU Secretariat who assisted in the development, delivery, and analysis of this report, particularly Mr. Ransford Bekoe, who provided substantive feedback from conception to analysis. Prof. Jonathan Chucks Mba and Mrs. Adeline A. Addy are also acknowledged for their contributions to the content of the survey. We also express gratitude to the members of the Communications Department, notably Dr. Pascal Hoba, Ms. Christiane Comoe Anaky, Ms. Akosua Agyeman, and Mr. Edward Ekow Turkson who provided translation, contact details of institutions, and technical assistance. We would also like to thank Mr. Robert White, Mrs. Kethline Garoute and Ms. Taline Bedrossian from the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada for their comments during the editing stage. Special gratitude also goes to Prof. Goolam Mohamedbhai, former Secretary- General of the AAU, through whose tenure this survey was conceived and who provided very constructive feedback on this report. Finally, we would like to express our appreciation to all the institutions, including AAU Member Institutions, which took the time and effort to respond to this survey in the interest of strengthening the role of higher education in Africa’s socio-economic development. Strengthening University-Industry Linkages in Africa: A Study of Institutional Capacities and Gaps THE PROJECT PARTNERS The Association of African Universities The Association of African Universities (AAU) is an international non-governmental organization established by African universities to promote cooperation among themselves and with the international academic community. The AAU, whose headquarters is in Accra, Ghana, was established in November 1967 at a founding conference in Rabat, Morocco, attended by representatives of 34 universities who adopted the constitution of the Association. As of June 2012, the AAU had a membership of 270 African higher education institutions from 45 African countries. The mission of the Association, which operates in three official languages namely, English, French and Arabic, is to enhance the quality and relevance of higher education in Africa and strengthen its contribution to African development by supporting the core functions of higher education institutions (HEIs), facilitating and fostering collaboration among African HEIs; and providing a platform for discussions on emerging issues. AAU’s programmes are implemented, as much as possible, through the involvement of its member institutions as well as strategic partners so as to engender commitment and ownership, and also build capacity for project/programme delivery in member institutions. For more information visit: http://www.aau.org/ The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) is an organization that provides Canadian universities with a unified voice and a forum for collective action. The AUCC currently represents 95 public and private not-for-profit universities and university degree-level colleges across Canada. The AUCC, located in Ottawa, Canada, was established in 1911 and marked its centennial celebrations in 2011. It was established by Canadian university presidents who recognized the need for a national organization of universities to exchange information and discuss common problems. Since its establishment, the AUCC has continued to provide leadership for higher education in Canada and abroad. AUCC’s mission is to foster and promote the interests of higher education and university research. Its main activities include assisting in the development of public policy to find solutions to economic and social challenges; working closely with governments, the private and the public sectors to raise the profile of higher education; sharing information on postsecondary education; developing leadership seminars for university leaders; managing scholarships and international programmes; and publishing reports, publications and an award- winning magazine. For more information visit: http://www.aucc.ca/ Strengthening University-Industry Linkages in Africa: A Study of Institutional Capacities and Gaps FOREWORD The Association of African Universities (AAU) is pleased to present this publication titled Strengthening University-Industry linkages in Africa: A Study on Institutional Capacities and Gaps. The study was conducted for the project Strengthening Higher Education Stakeholder Relations in Africa (SHESRA) jointly managed by the Association of African Universities and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) with funding from the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). In 2009, AAU and its then 252 member institutions put forward a new Core Programme to guide the Association’s priorities and activities over the next 4 years. Strengthening industry linkages was highlighted as a new area of focus for the Association. This study and the SHESRA project represent one of many steps the AAU is taking to support its members and the higher education community across Africa to strengthen linkages with industry and the productive sector. Higher education institutions are widely recognized as essential contributors to economic development through their role in producing the knowledge, skills, and innovations needed to drive their respective national economies. There is therefore a need to create a strong interface between this educational sub-sector and the productive sector that requires the skills and knowledge of graduates from universities and other higher education institutions in their enterprises to increase productivity. In addition to producing work-ready graduates for the job market, higher education institutions, particularly universities, also play a pivotal role in conducting research and incubating scientific and technological innovations that promote real and sustained economic growth and social development. Sadly, the skills, knowledge and training that students receive at many African universities do not prepare them adequately to meet the requirements of industry and the job market. This mismatch between what students learn and what industry needs - coupled with under-training in the critical skills of problem-solving, analytical thinking and communication - is blamed, at least in part, for the emerging high graduate unemployment and under-employment many African countries are witnessing. Most research in Africa is conducted at universities, placing these institutions at the centre of their national innovation systems. Through research and extension services, African universities can play a central role in producing technical solutions to local challenges. Yet, across much of Africa, universities have minimal linkages with the productive sector at every level, from big industry, to agricultural producers, to medium-and-small scale enterprises. Relatively few African universities manage technology incubators or science parks at their institutions.