INTRODUCTION
The project on Improving the Quality and Relevance of University Research within National Innovation Systems in West and Central Africa: the Governance Issues is a joint initiative of the West African Office of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and the Association of African Universities (AAU). The three-year project was launched in March 2010 with the following objectives:
- To better understand and assess the place and role of universities within national innovation systems;
- To determine how to build appropriate research governance systems
- To foster better linkages with other actors to ensure quality university research that is relevant to local needs and national development priorities.
The Project’s activities covered three (3) broad areas – Knowledge Production (Research), Capacity Building and Multi-stakeholder Collaboration (Networking) – and involved selected public and private universities in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal.
It was expected that the Project will provide evidence on university research governance and national innovation systems, available online and presented in national and pan-African policy forums, and an operational inter-university platform for experience-sharing, learning and networking. Ultimately these outputs were expected to contribute towards the strengthening of capacity for research, and research governance within participating universities.
BACKGROUND
Universities are critical actors of national innovation systems and contribute to socio-economic development. In 2009, in light of this, and considering the increased interest in higher education as a critical factor in development, the West Africa Regional Office of the Canadian IDRC commissioned a study on the state of university research governance in West and Central Africa. Following the study, a meeting was held in October 2009 to validate the findings which mainly revealed a lack of appropriate structures and noted deficiencies in research administration. Subsequently, in collaboration with the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), a project proposal was developed to address these issues and contribute towards a better system of university research and management.
The proposal on Improving the Quality and Relevance of University Research within National Innovation Systems in West and Central Africa: the Governance Issues was subsequently approved by the IDRC in March 2010. The project was implemented by the AAU in partnership with the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), the Centre d’Etudes Supérieures en Gestion (CESAG), the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), West African Research and Innovation Management (WARIMA) and the Canadian Association of University Research Administrators (CAURA).
RESOURCES
English
- University Research Governance & National Innovation Systems in West & Central Africa
- Universities and Economic Development in Africa
- Higher Education and Development
- Improving Tertiary Education in SSA – Things that Work
- Bibliography – Higher Education in Africa
- Technical & Vocational Education in SSA – Trends, innovations and Challenges
- Higher Education and Economic Development in Africa
- State of University Research Governance in West & Central Africa
- Best Practice in North-South Research Relationships in He
- Best Practice in Knowledge Transfer
- Integrated Knowledge Transfer in the Design of Doctoral Studies
- Auditing and Evaluating University-Community Engagement
- Management of University-Industry Relations
- The Governance of University-Industry Knowledge Transfer
- Research Governance at University Of Yaoundé I
- Governance & Performance of Research Universities
- Universities in National Innovation Systems
- Obstacles and Solutions of Commercialization of University Research Case Study of Small Businesses Development Center of University of Tehran
- Improving Quality & Relevance of Univ. Research
- African HEIs and Their Role in Development
- Developing University Research – New Strategies & Processes
- The Use of University Research in Firm Innovation
- Managing University-Industry Relations
- The Influence of University Research on Industrial Innovation
- NIS Overview & Country Cases
- National Innovation Systems – OECD
- Higher Education, Research and Innovation – Changing Dynamics
- Developing Embedding Inclusive Policy Practice Report
- Transforming University-Industry-Government Relations in Ethiopia
- Higher Education and Innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa
- University Research Management – An Exploratory Literature Review
French
- Gouvernance des Etablissements d’Enseignement Supérieur et Amélioration de l’Environnement des Affaires en Zone UEMOA
- Amélioration de l’Enseignement Supérieure en Afrique SubSaharienne
- Améliorer l’Enseignement Supérieure en Afrique – Ce qui Marche
- Innovations dans les Universités en Afrique Sub Saharienne
- Coopération Universitaire pour le Développement entre l’Afrique et l’Europe
- Concept d’universite de developpement
- Etat des lieux de la Gouvernance de la Recherche Universitiaire
- Quel enseignement supérieur et quelle recherche
- Création des conditions favorables à la recherche
- GRU_Rapports des groupes de travail Atelier de validation_Oct 2009
