| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework that will
enable private institutes of higher education to identify the academic
programs that are likely to meet the needs of stakeholders in Africa, the
challenges that are likely to act as barriers to the process of offering
academic programs which meet the needs of stakeholders and to suggest
effective ways of overcoming the challenges that are likely to act as barriers
to the process of offering academic programs in Africa. This paper was
based upon a review of theories, research findings and reports gathered
from relevant literatures. The study identified the following academic
programs that are likely to meet the needs of stakeholders in Africa:
development needs that require engineers which present opportunities for
skills development. The following challenges are likely to act as barriers to
the process of offering academic programs: Most of private institutes of high
education have limited investment in infrastructure hindering them from
offering courses in engineering and medical areas, higher education
professionals are confronted with some major difficulties when consulting
and engaging with industry, particularly with firms which have limited
interest in business growth and entrepreneurial motives tend to under value
the importance of personal and workforce skills, the freedom of individual
faculty members, incentive structure (salaries, promotions, and granting of
tenure) that does not recognize faculty contributions to sustainable
development, lack of desire to change, lack of pressure from society. The
present study suggests the following effective ways of addressing the
challenges that are likely to act as barriers to the process of offering
academic programs: Private institutes of high education will have to raise
enough money, design and develop academic programs in consultation with
the students, industrial practitioners and employers, need to target firms
which have more interest in business growth and entrepreneurial motives,
provide transformative education Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Private Higher Education in
Africa
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rather than merely transmissive education to prepare students’ capability of
addressing complex sustainability challenges, conduct inter and trans
disciplinary research, have societal problem-solving orientation in education
and research, provide leadership and vision that promotes needed change
accompanied by proper assignment of responsibility and rewards. |
