Higher Education from a Development Perspective Presentation at the Center for Development Research (ZEF) Bonn, 4 October 2005 Werner Wasmuth, GTZ Eschborn Folie 1 von 29
The role of tertiary education in the construction of knowledge economies and democratic societies is more influential than ever. Developing and transition countries are at risk of being further marginalized in a highly competitive world economy because their tertiary education systems are not adequately prepared to capitalize on the creation and use of knowledge. World Bank 2002, Constructing Knowledge Societies: New Challenges for Tertiary Education Folie 2 von 29
The contribution made by universities towards reducing poverty and achieving the MDGs runs right through major sectors including education, health, good governance and the promotion of civil society. Large-scale growth can only occur when good universities exist. GTZ Managing Director B. Eisenblätter, Higher Education & MDG Conference organized by DAAD, GTZ and HRK, Berlin 2004 Folie 3 von 29
The general framework Challenges Where higher education comes in Folie 4 von 29
The general framework Folie 5 von 29
Sustainable Development Social justice Economic productivity Political stability Ecologic sustainability Folie 6 von 29
Communication + Information + Knowledge + Capacity & skills Sustainable development Education Basic education Secondary education Higher education Technical & vocational education & training Non-formal education Life-long learning Folie 7 von 29
The framework of the MDG Poverty eradication Universal primary education Reduce child mortality Gender equity in education Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, Environmental Malaria and other sustainability diseases Global partnership Folie 8 von 29
Strategic sectors Economic development Governance reform Education, health, and social security Environment and infrastructure Rural development, agriculture and nutrition GTZ P&D Poverty reduction Sustainable development Folie 9 von 29
BMZ Focal Areas: Overall Distribution in % (2003) Transport and communication 3% Regional & urban development 5% Education 4% Food security, agriculture 5% Energy 3% Peace development and crisis prevention 3% Economic development / reforms, incl. vocational training 21% Combat poverty. Shape globalization. Secure peace. Health, family planning, HIV/AIDS 12% Drinking water, water & waste management 16% Environmental protection, sustainable use of natural resources 14% Democratization, civil society, public administration reforms 14% Folie 10 von 29
German Technical Cooperation Funds by Continent (in%) 8.8 % 13.9 % 26.7 % Sub-Saharan Africa Latin America Asia, Oceania 13.3 % Central and Eastern Europe Mediterranean Region and Middle East Supraregional 21.6 % 15.7 % As at: 2002 Folie 11 von 29
Challenges
MDG and being off track World Development Report 2004 Folie 13 von 29
School attendance and drop out World Development Report 2004 Folie 14 von 29
Folie 15 von 29
Absence of staff World Development Report 2004 Folie 16 von 29
Quantity vs. Quality? While the MDG to a great extent (seem to) focus on quantitative results (percentages, time frames), at the very end it is the QUALITY of achievements that counts. An increase of school enrollment, for instance, does not automatically mean better education. In order to ensure quality, appropriate MANAGEMENT is needed in order to monitor achievements and earmark as well as decide on CHANGE that is required in order to achieve the envisaged goals. One of the most important instruments in this context is CAPACITY BUILDING. Folie 17 von 29
Quality problems Services are often dysfunctional (e.g. remote areas, absence rates, equipment, corruption) The technical quality of services is often very low (unappropriate and/or inefficient methods and tools) Services are not responsive to clients ( social distance between providers and their clients) Little evaluation, little innovation, stagnant productivity cf. World Development Report 2004 Folie 18 von 29
The challenge of quality The most important challenge in the educational arena is the decline in quality, which undercuts a basic goal of human development, namely to enhance the quality of people s lives and enrich the capabilities of societies. Allocating insufficient resources to education can certainly reduce its quality.yet there are other elements that also affect educational quality, chief among which are education policies, teachers and educators working conditions, curricula and educational methodologies. Arab Human Development Report 2003: Building a Knowledge Society Folie 19 von 29
Where higher education comes in I benefited a lot from the Summer School. It opened new horizons and made me acquainted with several topics that really affect development in Egypt. What is most exiting is that team working we practiced. It is very important if we want our country to progress, it is a must to work hand in hand Kairo Summer School 2005 Folie 20 von 29
Sustainable change needs the input of new knowledge and content, methods and appropriate management. The crucial question: How can universities benefit the whole society including the poor? Enhancement of quality as well as accountability is required in higher education to contribute to sustainable development. Agents of change The triple mission of higher education: Teaching Research Community services People The missing link? Folie 21 von 29
Tertiary education and the accountability triangle Donors? Tertiary education institutions Folie 22 von 29
Integrated programmes! Economic Development Capacity Building Programme in Ethiopia Higher education reform Technical & vocation education and training Quality systems Private sector promotion Improvement of frame conditions Folie 23 von 29
Multi- & interdisciplinary approaches! Water resource management Legislation Transport Water Energy Crisis & conflict Health Participatory planning Food technology Education Folie 24 von 29
Foster North-South / South- South cooperation networks! UniCambio (Latin America) Quality management EQUAIP (Arab region) HEQMISA (SADC) Folie 25 von 29
Effective coordination at national and international level! Define the common target Make use of each other s potentials and advantages Combine complementary contributions and activities Eliminate overlapping Make sure that mutually agreed mechanisms of implementation, monitoring and evaluation are in place Show unity in diversity ( One face to the customer, EZ aus einem Guss / joint-up development cooperation ) Folie 26 von 29
The relevance of higher education to sustainable development (and to development cooperation) Qualification of future expertise and leadership holders Capacity building Access to current and future decision makers and their respective institutions as strategically important partners Strategic alliances Intercultural understanding and dialogue Regional and supra-regional knowledge networks Folie 27 von 29
GTZ: Linkages between projects and universities in the partner countries MENA, Eastern Europe, Central Asia 19% Africa 33% No contact 25% Latin America 16% Asia 32% Contact 75% 2004 / 110 responding projects Folie 28 von 29
GTZ: Linkages with universities Planning & Development : manifold contacts / cooperation activities in a large number of specific subject areas Sector Project Higher Education Cooperation, incl. the initiative Between lecture hall and practice (cf. Summer School in Cairo), UniCambio, HEQMISA Short- and long-term assignments to subject-matter specialists (e.g. for project appraisals, evaluation, strategy papers, applied research) Internships for students Cooperation with university networks (e.g. Point Sud/Mali) GTZ workshops and conferences, e.g. Eschborner Fachtage (2006: Knowledge ) Folie 29 von 29
Thank you! werner.wasmuth@gtz.de