Could it be boom time for African universities?

In fact,I can confidently boost of my university as one of the best in the world even when you look at the number of expatriates that come in every year and what the university offer.I'm proud of that!Most African students like to earn their first degree in their own countries but with the 2nd and 3rd degrees they prefer changing their environment and being enlightened about what exist outside their home country.After my first degree for instance, i thought of applying to do my 2nd degree but i didn't. Not that i didn't want to but sometimes the processes are too complicated.
Secondly, Taking some of the universities in Africa particularly my country,if one is suppose to finish his or her masters programme in two years, it can take more than four years for the person to complete and i think those who earn their degree outside the continent dont suffer like that! These are some of the reasons,apart from that,i do not think people will be struggling to study abroad or earn their degree abroad.But almost all the lecturers have acquired an international degree and who knows we are also dreaming of becoming lecturers so we really need to be exposed!
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I got my first degree in Nigeria and second in a UK university so I appreciate the difference btw the two. Rating Universities at home may be difficult to do because the quality of education given varies with the university, however, I would rate my home university about 40% as they fall short of very basic infrastructural requirements of a higher institution. Frequent industrial actions by the Academic staff frequently disrupt the school calendar which makes the student very uncertain of when he/she ends a semester and graduates eventually. For this reason, I doubt that foreigners will be very interested in acquiring a degree here no matter how good the quality of education that is offered by an African University.

My Uk education on the other hand I would say was more stable and pretty much more encompassing. The factor bringing about this obvious difference to me was "governance". African leaders need to provide better governance if the education sector and universities in particular are to be taken seriously.

I am a british graduate myself and all i gained was the world wide acceptance of my qualifications,but thats not to say acdemicaly they are superiors.My fellow africans would agree with me if you are a best student at a University in Africa,you can be the best everywhere.I think these african universities have to market their name and all that again depends with the people worldwide seizing to believe that anything British is good

Whao, I'm proud of my university, one of the best in Africa. Problem is, we have this peculiar strike/student union crisis that usually brings my beloved institution under lock and key. Don't get me wrong, I love foreign education. In fact, I wrote SAT in 2003 and had a combined score of 1350 but couldn't leave my country. This was not my making. I didn't have the necessary information on scholarships and so didn't get one. I wish to get a foreign masters degree because I'm sure I could use the exposure. In terms of practicals, we are just too ill equipped in my country.
As an Agric Engr, I did not handle a tractor in my school meanwhile, my friend is SA uses a truck (Hummer) for practicals in Mech Engring.
Thats why we wish to travel out. The practical edge and the time saved.
Are foreign universities better? I think they are for many reasons.
Should our universities be doing more to attract students? Yes.
Will they? Not likely. Why? There are an awful lot who are seeking to enter and have not gotten spaces.
What do we need? More universities, but they should be well monitored.
And no matter where I go, I'll still come back to my beloved country.
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Having gained my education in two African Universities in two different countries, its noteworthy to note that there are significant challenges.
Structural, qualified teaching staff,facilities particularly in the science and technological areas, yet at the same time, there have been significant improvements. Universities in Africa have produced highly qualified specialists who have gone ahead and made significant contributions to both economies and political landscape in the continent.

On whether African Universities will attract outside students, there is no doubt about that and there are significant numbers of students from Europe and America already studying in African Universities and gaining meaningful experience.

It is time Europe and America woke up to the reality that some parts of Africa have come of age, the scholars and graduates in African Universities have matured to suitably meet the requirements and challenges not only from the continent but also globally. This is the time for African Universities

Mike O'maera

I don’t live in Africa but was born in Liberia, West Africa. African universities are not equipped to attract EU & American students. Poor infrastructure and the lack of government funding make most African Universities less attractive to foreign students from the West. Until our governments can make education a priority African universities will remain unattractive to foreign students and moreover make foreign acquired degrees superior to those earned in Africa.
JDuwark1
Palm Coast, FL

In a typical western university foreign students usually pay more tuition than the local students, rents apartment next to the school and spends in the UK. This is a form of exporting education services thus the UK government will only be discriminating on African students and probably give the same slots to Asian and Europeans students.
The reason students go to study in the UK abroad is because the Universities in Africa cannot absorb all of them I am sure with the UK door closed for African students a window will open else where most probably in Asia.

I don’t know of other African universities but Nigerian universities cannot benefit at all. Ours remain glorified public secondary schools in the name of universities. No labs, no equipments, no lecture halls, no chairs, see undergraduates hanging on window rails for lectures, no water, no light, hostels are crowded, brain drain has drained the best lecturers, we are left with businessmen and women who spend longer time running their business than lecturing hence the need for strikes, the campus itself is a business centre where grades are bought and sold. Admissions are offered only to the highest bidder, merit is never a criteria. Its appalling, our glory days are long gone!

If British government starts to approve 8 out of 10 visa applications for ordinary visiting,i can assure you there will be fewer or no reason to apply for student visa.In other words,about 80% of student visas from Nigeria is a flimsy excuse to leave the country,10% is just the pride of a degree from abroad and the remaining 10% is that group of wealthy families who undermine Nigerian education and believe a degree abroad is great.So i don't think a cap on student visa is going to have any negative effect on Nigerian education because the purpose behind schooling abroad is nothing more than the reasons above.Whatever degree achieved abroad is neither apllicable nor utilised in Nigerian economy, because the degree you hold does not actually count in Nigeria but who you know.Nigeria is a country where a doctor is a bank manager whilst a carpenter is a lawyer so if you had obtained your degree in medcine in U.K or America,how useful is that to you and the country.

This will really be a quandary to Africans especially those schooling in public schools in the continent. Corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of the African educational system such that a student undergoes all sort of ridiculous exploitations in order to acquire a college degree. Moreover, the emphasis on paper qualification in africa is optimal such that students 'sort' (bribe) as they call it, in order to collect that necessary paper.
If the UK government does this, It will only let Africans, to shift their focus from the UK to countries like Australia, New Zealand, US, Malaysia, Canada or even private institutions that offer quality education in the continent. Most persons schooling in Africa aren't doing that because they want to but because they lack the finance to attend better schools. Most public schools in Africa lack the necessary facilities and manpower to impact good and quality education to their students. The few privately owned institutions which can meet up this standards are exorbitant like their counterparts abroad.
Although in the short run Africans will have no choice other than to succumb to the policies of the UK government by schooling in their continent but in the long run, they'll surely device ways of getting a foreign degree in advanced countries where the educaional system is highly standardised. After all in Africa, we treasure foreign degrees than our in-house degrees as long as the bearer can defend it. Thank you.

Yes. U.K. plan to cut by half, foreign students coming into its universities could be a boom for African Universities. But, to be a boom for African Universities, a lot has to happen in terms of improving the quality of many African universities. Otherwise, it may only force a lot of Africans to study at home instead of going overseas. I cannot see an influx of students from outside the continent wanting to study in African Univerisites. Especially when many of the universities as in the case of Nigeria, are ill-equiped and plagued with constant strikes by staff and faculty for lack of pay. A four year degree often take six years or more. Instead of a bunch of ill-equiped universities, major African countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya etc should have a few but enough and well equiped universities that equal some of the best universities in the West to serve its population. In fact, I imagine it would be cheaper for Africans to get their degree in Africa instead of traveling to Europe or America.

A sharp student is a sharp student and a quack is a quack! It doesnt matter whether you attend Cambridge, Oxford or Havard! Such universities may only serve to improve your exposure which may be necessary in a globalized world. I have always witnessed cases where students who cannot perform well in our local (African) universities suddenly become geniuses after joining those foreign universities.

Again, i have never come across a research finding that points to the fact that people trained in overseas universities become better doctors, engineers, managers etc. In fact, the best professionals i have come across in Kenya were actually trained locally. Nevertheless, this should not be an excuse for proliferation of many bogus universities in Africa where even basic infrastructure is not provided for the courses offered. In Kenya currently, there is a boom in university education and every institution is struggling to admit as many students as possible. This has resulted into structures no better than cattle dips being converted into university colleges.

I am proud of the degree i received in Nigeria and i can stand my feet anywhere in the world to defend that. however i will say that the infrastruture is not there but we were made to study hard.
Reducing the number of student visa to Uk will not affect the Nigeria Universities because we have in our mentality that foreign degree is another added respect to your curriculum vitae, rather it will make them to turn much of their desire to Asians countries. Nigerians are people who likes to move around , so limiting a corridor long know to them is a way of them exploring less known route.
If for some reason Nigerians decided to study all at home the frequent strike and not enough universities to admit all that is seeking admission will be a great challenge to all and thus that may reduce our literacy level.

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Babcock University...Best uni in Nigeria.

It will be a gain for some universities alright but mainly for those in South Africa, at least for some of us in Southern Africa. Even for SA, it will be some universities which have had stability and have maintained a decent ranking on the African and world university rankings. The rest will have students, not because African students think the are great, but because they will settle since they will not be able to enroll in the universities of their choice. Let us face it, there is a lot broken that needs to be fixed before many African universities gain the respect they clamour. Having the quality students without providing a quality environment will however not produce quality graduates no matter how much we wish it.

I think that African Universities can take advantage of the UK cut in education, and also benefit from the publicity of the result of intake from abroad.
In fact, I went to school at University of Cape Coast for my 1st degree and Masters in US, I can categorically state that what we did at Cape Coast and what they are doing here, US is the same. However, if one is talking about infrastructure, then, African universities are lagging behind but all the students that I met during the course duration, were very knowledgeable in their respective courses with very good grades.
Also most of the African Universities have signed an agreement with their developed countries counterparts and as a result of internet development, they're now using the slides from their partners from abroad. This has reduced, if not solved the entire problem of lack of textbooks and its related products considerably and had improved teaching to a very large extent.
In fact, I was amazed when I saw one of the course content and slides. One can categorically states that if there's one thing that African Universities had benefit from the develop world, then it is the use of internet which has made this great program possible.

I'm really proud about this development because it has enhaced the image of African Universities. I'd rather advise any UK student who wants to attend a foreign University to try an African University and he/she would not regret. However, the person must use the correct channel and choose a very good African University and it would be a wonderful experience for him/her.

Long live African Universities with great development and training.
Thanks

I don't get why being pro immigration is considered to be a nice policy in the uk. Doesn't it prevent countries from developing by stealing their brightest and best?

I got my 1st degree at home and second in Europe. The substantial differences between studying in Africa and somewhere in Europe is that the overall quality of the universities such as human skilled power, research facilities, organization and administration plus the area of studies. However, African universities have a potential to be world calss universities but a lot have to be done giving priority in expanding and upgrading the available educational and research institutions by injecting money. I am optimistic that we started moving steps but long way to go inorder to have Western standard universities.

I can't comment on the situation in other African countries, but in regard to Nigeria, it's hard to see our universities being in a position to attract students from Europe, the Americas, or indeed Asia in the near future. This is not because we don't have the potential to deliver the kinds of academic programmes that are available elsewhere, but because, as with everything else we attempt to do, we never seem to have the leadership capable of facilitating the delivery of quality outcomes. And this is not surprising at all: most of our universities are little more than bastions of political patronage, in some cases totally beholden to our numerous "First Ladies" who are often generously rewarded with honorary doctorates which invariably become obligatory titles - in some cases used together with self-awarded "Damehoods" and countless other titles. And the result? Most of our university graduates are now barely literate. I know, because I have taught quite a few in a UK university, who could barely read or write.

Also, why would you bother to improve standards at home when it has become almost obligatory for education ministers and their senior officials to send their kids abroad to study?

I think its really gonna be a boom for Afrika, expecially country like Nigeria. all that is needed is more money to improve the quality of the institution, the structures, and also good research facilities. if these things are provided i dont see why a student will wanna travel out to pay heavy cash abraod to study.

In a globalised World, the quality of university education obtained from either Africa or elsewhere in the World is becoming negligible. Sources of information are common, in most cases courses are similar, lecturers are international and most universities are linked to others in the World. It is therefore, not a surprise that the differences are now negligible. British universities will suffer from the additional funding that foreign students bring. The chances are other European countries, North America & Asia will move to fill the gap. I am afraid, African universities will not benefit tremendously from this move. For African universities to benefit, the quality in terms of infrastructure and resources as well as reputation of these institutions need to be enhanced. Such a thing can only happen with good governance overall in the economic and political arena.

african universities remain the best in the world.
this is a great opportunity for african universities
to retained their students.it will help in mitigating
the brain drain phenomenon in africa. people go to
overseas universities just for recognition and pride
because they are very expensive.
I am a graduate of history and international relations
university of calabar nigeria and can compete with any
of my foriegn canterparts.

Well, it is a good one for some Africans and African countries alike. Maybe it is time our callous leaders began to look inwards to develop our already dwindling universities. Because as long as they can seek solace in universities abroad for their children, relations, themselves alike, they wont strive to improve our universities. This is not to say it is a crime to school in abroad, but then and again, African leaders need to look inward

I this globally known world is very important to take in to the consideration studentś from Africa.
The educational system provides intelligent workforce from Africa
and that braintravel should not be ignored.
There are good univerities in Africa, who provides experts from their view, so that we europeans sholud take in to the consideration.
Very soon in this speed of ruining our world with pollutes, poisons,
nuclear weapons etc. we are facing a time to ask help from Africa.

The move by the United Kingdom Authorities, will NOT in any way boost African Universities. First reason being that most students studying in UK universities from Africa are from privilege background;as such their parents are capable of taken them to America, Canada, other parts of Europe and emerging Asian Universities. Second reason is that most African Universities are fast loosing touch of the realities in modern learning system and condition thereby bring up half baked scholars.In Nigeria for example, schooling abroad is CLASS thing, consequently our leaders pay far less attention in the improvement of our school system especially universities simply because their wades are out there. On the other hand,the economy of the universities in UK will be hit badly cos African students studying there contributes to over 20% of their economy.

If you look at the lecturers in some of this foreign university you will discover they are from Africa and some developing countries, if such are encouraged to stay at home the quality of university education may be better. Some countries are doing fine in Africa already but here in Nigeria it is not yet out of the woods in terms of quality of University education. With the policy in Britain many students will want to look inwards for there degree, to me it is not where you obtained the degree that really matters but what you can do with it.

I am studying International Business here in Finland and I had HND qualification in Nigeria before coming here. Though our educational system back in Nigeria is good but we lack basic facility which is a major draw back to our educational system.

Also, our system is quite different from what is obatinable in western world. Our techers are more of theories, but over they we are more of practicals. We only hear of what makes a good business plan, market segementation, target marking and other theories and we know the steps needed to do these thing but without having a feeling of it which makes is pretty hard for some of us to cope at places of work in international level.


Yet we produce good and competent students but when compare to the ratio to student produced by Universities here we are still not moving at all. Here you have to demonstrate your competency through research, reports and other vital activities which prepare you for the real working life environment. Unlike our where we crame and write them down in the exam in exam and forget it all. Though, this gives us nitche over here because the nature of our educational system prepare us for any situation and little wonder we are making waves abroad.

Promoting our educational system to attract foreigner is not an easy issue because our leaders are not ready for that now. We need years to structure alot of thing to achieve these objectives. Maybe some private schools in Nigeria can do this but I cannot measure their competency because I do not have feelings of their system.

For a very longtime we have been made to believe that the Western Universities are the best in quality education, which is not far form the truth. However, with the stringent measures that have been upgraded, this means student efforts to acquire British Education will be thwarted even the more.
I am a student at Uganda Christain University and I love every bit of my University because it has offered me quality education. To re-affirm this position, each year we have Americans joining us for study albeit for Exchange Programme called Uganda Studies Programme headed by Mark Batels. The fact that it has been continouts also reiterates the fact that African uinversities have come of age enough to curb the mentality of "not the best".
Locking out further students is an aspect of pride which is very detrimental to the ideals of Globalization and bounders on segregating people from developing nations for why do they on restrict movement from Non-EU members? This is a wake up call though for African managament in Learning Institutions to upgrade their educational standards.

Many people travel out because they don't trust their hometown Universities. Even if Britain decreases the rate of taking in non EU students, many people will still prefer to still go out of their countries even if it is another African country just to study. We give more value when we see a degree coming in from a different country. We just have to change this mentality and learn to trust our hometown universities.