THE RESPONSIVE SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT MISSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

1. THE RESPONSIVE SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT MISSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION By Pai Obanya (international education strategist) 09 August 2011

2. A FOUR-PART PRESENTATION

3. PART ONE • A DISCOURSE as well A DISCUSSION

4. A THREE-PRONGED MODEL vs. A TRIPLE MODEL? • MERELY PLAYING WITH WORDS? • SIMPLY A QUESTION OF SEMANTICS? • IN FACT, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? • ASK THE AUDIENCE O

5. SPOT THE DIFFERENCE • IN ANOTHER BREATH, IT OPENS THE NEW DISCOURSE AND ITS ESPOUSAL TO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS • IN ONE BREATH, THE PAPER INTRODUCES A NEW LANGUAGE ON THE DISCOURSE ON THE MISSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

6. OUR GOAL • NEITHER A DOGMA NOR A DOCTRINE, • BUT A CONCEPT CLARIFICATION EXERCISE • AND AN IDEAS GENERATION PROCESS. • THEREFORE, THE MORE INTENSIVE THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS • AND THE MORE HEATED THE DEBATE • GENERATED BY THE PRESENTATION, • THE GREATER ITS DEGREE OF SUCCESS.

7. PART TWO: THE POSTULATE • AGAIN LETS SPOT THE DIFFERENCE • (next two slides)

8. THE THREE-PRONGED PARADIGM ON THE MISSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

9. THE TRIPLE MANDATE PARADIGM

10. KNOWLEDGE IS THE THING • THE RAISON D’ETRE • THE MODUS OPERANDI • THE CORE FUNCTION • THREE INTERWOVEN COMPONENTS • KNOWLEDGE GENERATION (Research) • KNOWLEDGE TRANSMISSION (Teaching) • KNOWLEDGE SHARING (Social Engagement)

11. SOCIETY IS DETERMER as well as THE DETERMINANT

12. ENGAGING WITH SOCIETY: the elements

13. PART 2A

14. TRANSFORMATION ??? • A MARKED CHANGE IN APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER, USUALLY FOR THE BETTER. • APPLYING THIS DEFINITION TO NIGERIA’S ASPIRATIONS FOR TRANSFORMATION • ENGINEER POSITIVE CHANGE FROM WHAT-WHERE-HOW NIGERIA CURRENTLY IS • TO SOME BENCHMARKED STANDARD THAT WOULD REPRESENT A COMPLETE UPWARD TURN AROUND • IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF NIGERIANS.

15. BENCHMARKING NIGERIA (HDI of UNDP

16. ARTICULATING THE TRANSFORMATION AGENDA

17. SOCIETAL ASPIRATIONS = A SPRING BOARD FOR RESPONSIVE SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT • IDEALLY, THE ASPIRATIONS OF SOCIETY WOULD BE ARTICULATED IN THE FORM OF A NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA, • DISCOURSE-DISCUSSION PREMISED ON THE NEED FOR HIGHER EDUCATION TO USE KNOWLEDGE TO SUPPORT SOCIETY’S ASPIRATIONS. • A WELL ARTICULATED TRANSFORMATION AGENDA = A SPRINGBOARD FOR THE RESPONSIVE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ACTIVITIES OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

18. PART THREE (a)

19. A TRIPLE MANDATE STRATEGY • ELEMENT ONE: RESEARCH • INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AGENDAS • ANCHORED ON SOCIETAL NEEDS, • RADIATING TO ALL UNITS WITHIN AND INSTITUTION, AND • WITH EMPHASIS ON PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH • GOVERNMENT-ORGANISED PRIVATE SECTOR-MICRO BUSINESSES-CIVIL SOCIETY

20. AN INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AGENDA CHAIN

21. AN ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE

22. PARTICIPATORY-ACTION RESERACH • THE CONCEPT • GOAL: Useful and Useable Research • METHODOLOGY: identification-articulation-conduct, etc BY RESEARCHER and RESEARCHEE • INTRA-INSTITUTIONAL and INTER-INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATION • JUSIFICATION: Knowledge as most viable tool for competitiveness

23. INFORMAL ECONOMIC SECTOR ALSO • SMALL BUSINESSES DO REQUIRE CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT– TECHNICAL, SCIENTIFIC, COMMERCIAL. • INCREASING THE KNOWLEDGE BASE OF SMALL SCALE BUSINESS • RAISING THE LEVEL OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SOPHISTICATION OF THE OPERATORS • CREATING WEALTH AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES

24. ELEMENT TWO • CURRICULUM • SCHOOL-GENERATED EXPERIENCE • THAT ENSURES A PERMANENT POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION IN THE LEARNER • AND TURNS THE INDIVIDUAL INTO A LIFELONG LEARNER • FACING THE CHALLENGES OF EXISTENCE HEADLONG • IN A DYNAMIC WORLD ENVIRONMENT

25. CURRICULUM FOR RESPONSIVE SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT • ANCHORED ON SOCIETY’S DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES • REGULARLY FED BY RESEARCH FINDINGS • CHARACTERISED BY • PARTICIPATORY HANDS-ON/MINDS-ON EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

26. LEARNING WITH AND FROM THE ‘WORLD OUT THERE” • HIGHER INSTITUTIONS SHOULD TEACH BOTH USEFUL AND USEABLE CURRICULA • MUCH IN THE SAME WAY AS THEY SHOULD BE DEVOTED TO USEFUL AND USEABLE RESEARCH. • CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN WHATEVER DISCIPLINE MUST HAVE THE INPUT OF ‘THE WORLD OUT THERE’. • – USE OF DATA FROM THE PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH • INVOLVING VARIOUS INTEREST GROUPS IN DETERMINING THE CONTENT AND THE ORIENTATION OF CURRICULA

27. QUIZZ:T o what extent would stakeholder involvement be necessary ?

28. LETS NOT FORGET THAT… • THERE IS INDIGENOUS AND IMPLICIT KNOWLEDGEOUT THERE • THAT HIGHER INSTITUTIONS CAN CAPITALISE UPON IN ENHANCING THE RELEVANCE OF THEIR CURRICULA. • THESE ‘KNOWLEDGES’ CAN BE TAPPED • THROUGH PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS • WITH THE WORLD OUT THERE.

29. ELEMENT THREE • OUT-REACH ACTIVITIES • FED BY RESEARCH RESULTS • AND ADDRESSING SOCIETAL CONCERNS

30. LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES • LAW FACULTIES OFFERING LEGAL AID SERVICES TO THE POOR. • EDUCATION FACULTIES ADOPTING SCHOOLS AND ENGAGING THE TEACHERS ON WHOLE SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES • MEDICAL FACULTIES HELPING TO RUN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES • BUSINESS SCHOOLS ENGAGING WITH PETTY TRADERS TO ENHANCE THEIR BUSINESS SKILLS • ENGINEERING FACULTIES ENGAGING IN SKILLS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMMES WITH ROAD SIDE ARTISANS • UNITS ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES ENGAGING IN ROAD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, EROSION/DESERTIFICATION CONTROL, WASTE MANAGEMENT

31. NOT THE I-T THAT WE KNOW • SYSTEMATICALLY BUILT INTO THE RESEARCH AND TEACHING FUNCTIONS OF HIGHER INSTITUTIONS • INVOLVE BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS • WORKING IN ACTIVE COLLABORATION WITH PROJECT BENEFICIARIES ‘OUT THERE’ • MAKE A DIFFERENCE THROUGH THE INJECTION OF NEW IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES • BE PART OF THE FORMAL CURRICULA INSTITUTIONS • NOT SIMPLY SIDE PRACTICE • FUNCTION LIKE A TWO-WAY KNOWLEDGE TRAFFIC MECHANISM, • IN WHICH THE HIGHER INSTITUTION TEACHES AS IT ALSO LEARNS.

32. A NEW CONCEPT • The SOCIAL LABORATORY • WHAT IS IT? • WHY DO HIGHER INSTITUTIONS NEED IT?

33. PART THREE (b)

34. ONE: CHALLENGE HIGHER INSTITUTIONS • GOVERNMENTS ALL OVER AFRICA TEND TO SHY AWAY FROM HARNESSING THE KNOWLEDGE RESOURCES OF THEIR TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS. • YET, THE SAME GOVERNMENTS ARE ALWAYS IN LEAGUE WITH EXTERNAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS • THAT FLOOD THE CONTINENT WITH EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS WHO • NOT ONLY COST A FORTUNE • BUT ALSO DO NOT ENGAGE IN ANY SUSTAINABLE FORM OF • KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND NATIONAL LEVEL CAPACITY BUILDING.

35. WHY WE MUST CAPITALISE ON OUR OWN KNOWLEDGE RESOURCES • FIRST, THE COSTS WOULD BE LESS PROHIBITIVE. • SECOND, GOVERNMENT WOULD BE USING PERSONS WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH LOCAL REALITIES. • THIRD, WE WOULD BE STRENGTHENING THE RESPONSIVE CAPACITY OF NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. • FOURTH, KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED IN THE COURSE OF INVOLVEMENT IN NATIONAL PROJECT ENDEAVOURS WOULD STAY WITH US AND NOT SIMPLY BE ‘EXPORTED’

36. TWO: ARREST THE PROLIFERATION OF PARASTATALS • WHOSE MANDATES MERELY DUPLICATE THOSE OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. • HERE IN NIGERIA, • THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE:31 PARASTATALS • EDUCATION: 23 • SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: 19 • HEALTH: 8

37. ADVANTAGES OF NON-PROLIFERATION OF PARASTATALS • ENHANCED SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS IN UNIVERSITIES • THEY WOULD BE MORE ATTUNED TO ADDRESSING SPECIFIC AREAS OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONCERN • CONCENTRATION (INSTEAD OF THE PREVAILING DISPERSAL) OF RESEARCH TALENT AND CAPACITY • ENHANCED COST EFFECTIVENESS • CONSOLIDATION OF FACILITIES AND ON-GOING EFFORTS

38. PART FOUR: TAKE-HOME MESSAGES

39. OUR KEY MESSAGE • THE DISCOURSE ON THE MISSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION SHIFTING TO THE TRIPLE MANDATE MODEL • KNOWLEDGE AS THE RAISON D’ÊTRE, THE CORE FUCTION AND THE MODUS OPERANDI OF HIGHER EDUCATION. • KNOWLEDGE TOOL OF HIGHER INSTITUTIONS DIRECTED TOWARDS ADDRESSING THE DEVELOPMENT CONCERNS OF SOCIETY • THROUGH THE TRIPLE FUNCTIONS OF: KNOWLEDGE GENERATION, KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER KNOWLEDGE SHARING.

40. MORE ABOUT THE RESPONSIVE SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT • NOT A WATERING DOWN OF THE QUALITY OF ACADEMIC WORK • NOT AN ABANDONMENT OF THE PURSUIT OF GLOBAL STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE. • BUT THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE AND GLOBAL STANDARDS AND • THE APPLICATION OF CUTTING EDGE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS • TO ADDRESSING DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES OF HOST ENVIRONMENT (AND NATION) OF A HIGHER INSTITUTION.

41. AN EMERGING GLOBAL TREND • ‘OPENING UP THE UNIVERSITY’S IVORY TOWER’ • ‘SOCIALLY FOCUSED UNIVERSITIES • ‘ CIVIC ENGAGEMENT UNIVERSITIES’ • ‘DEVELOPMENTAL UNIVERSITIES’

42. FEATURES OF THE NEW TREND A> INSTITUTIONS WHOSE MISSION IS TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE THAT SUPPORTS PROBLEM-SOLVING 'IN, WITH AND FOR' THE SOCIAL CONTEXT IN WHICH THE UNIVERSITY FINDS ITSELF AND THAT CONTRIBUTES TO HUMAN AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.B> THIS MODEL INCLUDES KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION AIMED AT BUILDING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN LIFE, EITHER THROUGH RESEARCH PERFORMED ACCORDING TO MAINSTREAM SCIENTIFIC STANDARDS OR THROUGH RESEARCH THAT INCORPORATES EVERYDAY KNOWLEDGE AND DIALOGUE WITH EXTRA-ACADEMIC ACTORS

43. FINALLY, CAN THIS WORK IN NIGERIA? • IT IS POSSIBLE SUBJECT TO THREE MAJOR REQUIREMENTS – • HIGHER INSTITUTION TEACHERS PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR CALLING • TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL. • A GOVERNMENT THAT IS WILLING TO CHALLENGE ITS OWN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS BY ASSIGNING DEVELOPMENT ORIENTED WORK TO THEM.