A model for expanded PhD production in East Africa

1. A model for expanded PhD production in East Africa Marc Cutright, EdD Benedict Mtasiwa, PhD ANIE Conference, Addis Ababa, 2-4 October 2013

2. Objectives of the model • Accelerate the production of PhDs and other terminal degrees at East African universities, for service to universities • Focus production on disciplines of high need and demand • Strengthen the capacity of African university doctoral programs beyond the duration of the formal project.

3. Contexts of the shortage • Rapid expansion of higher education • Number of institutions exploding • Growing population of young people, particularly those with secondary qualifications • National social and economic development needs dependent upon skilled individuals • University capabilities for teaching and research compromised by severe shortages of advanced degree holders.

4. Some contributing factors • Aging and retiring professoriate • Inability of universities to attract and retain the most highly qualified personnel • Brain drain, both external and internal • Insufficient capacity of African universities to produce new PhDs

5. One common model to produce PhDs • A university identifies promising staff members, and sends them to Europe, North America, Asia, or other places to earn terminal degrees.

6. What’s wrong with that? • First, identify some of the best people—and then “take them off-line” for three or more years. • Expensive • Non-strategic in terms of prioritizing particular disciplines. • Issues of non-return of individuals, or short returns to meet minimum return-service obligations. • The practices perpetuate North-South relationships in which the South is the “junior partner.” E.g., research agendas tend to be those of the North, with the South as data gatherers. • There is no development of African university capacities in doctoral education and PhD production.

7. Another model • Create centers of excellence and concentration at African universities, founded in large part on existing capacity. • Identify key disciplines for the unfolding 21st century • Offer doctoral education in a cohort model, of short-term and intensive residencies, complementary distance education, lock-step and minimal common coursework • Select and support students, based on institutional endorsement for long-term contribution

8. The Partner University Element • Each Center of Excellence university is matched by mutual agreement with a Western, European or other university with great strength in the discipline • The partners design the disciplinary details of implementation, instruction, dissertation supervision, etc. • As the partnership progresses, the innate capacity of the African partner university is permanently enhanced. That is the element of sustainability.

9. By the numbers: An example • 10 Centers of Excellence and disciplinary priority identified • Intake of 20 nominated & competitively selected students per center. • A goal of 75% completion rates • 10 centers X 20 students X 75% completion rate = 150 new PhD students per completed cycle. Three cycles over 10-12 years in total = … • 450 PhDs in about a decade

10. Substantial cost factors • The support of the expansion of capacity at Centers of Excellence, so that intake and output of large cohorts is possible • Support of individual students: tuition, travel & accommodation expenses, etc. • Central organization, administration, financial & quality monitoring

11. Recent developments • The Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) represents universities in the East African Community nations of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi • The IUCEA is, essentially, the Ministry of Higher Education for the reborn and forming East African Community. • The IUCEA has evidenced interest, at the staff level, in the model and its implementation.

12. Next Steps • Further development of a needs analysis, inventory of existing programs with develop potential • Potential funding sources include major foundations with investment interests and histories in East Africa, and the constituent national governments of East Africa • The potential of foundation support is suggested by the fact that Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda were all targeted for investment by the Partnership for Higher Education in Africa (2000-2010), and by the IUCEA’s ongoing relationships with potential funders.

13. The Planning Period • Just a “few details” remain to be resolved ;-) • How are centers identified and prioritized? Considerations include existing capacity, interest in participation in the program and its parameters, the role that disciplinary priorities will play • How to support these centers? Enable new hires, facilitation of university partnerships, etc.? • How to identify, admit, and support accepted students? • How is the program to be centrally administered and quality controlled?

14. Beyond the launch • Implementation is likely to be modified throughout the program. Will seek support for three iterations, but it should evolve and adapt throughout the implementation phase • Necessary to have good quality controls and “bang for the buck” for funders. • Determine how to shape the experience for the development of HE leadership capacity by graduates • Concentrate on research-based dissemination of the model in practice to support other efforts

15. Contact information • Marc Cutright, EdD, Associate Professor of Higher Education, The University of North Texas • Marc.Cutright@unt.edu • Ugandan telephone: 0793 200 409