The Concept and Process of Higher Education Regionalization
There is no question that the international dimension of higher education has transformed the higher education landscape in the last three decades. The more globalized and inter-connected the world becomes, it stimulates higher education institutions, org
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1. THE CONCEPT AND PROCESS OF HIGHER EDUCATION REGIONALIZATION1
INTRODUCTION
Growing Importance of Higher Education Regionalization in Africa There is no question that the international dimension of higher education has transformed the higher education landscape in the last three decades. The more globalized and inter-connected the world becomes, it stimulates higher education institutions, organizations and national governments to pay more attention to academic relations and opportunities with partners in other countries (Knight, 2008). A more recent development has been an increased focus on higher education collaboration and exchange within a region. In Africa, there are increasing efforts toward ‘harmonization of African higher education’ supported by organizations such as the African Union (AU), Association of African Universities (AAU), and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA, 2010, 2015). The establishment of the Pan-African University (PAU), the expansion in the number of regional research and university networks, the growth in intra-regional student mobility and institutional agreements, and the new emphasis on Africa-wide quality assurance frameworks and academic credit systems are a testimony to the growing importance of pan-Africa higher education regionalization. In fact, the movement to increase the transparency and comparability of national systems within a region is occurring in all regions of the world. The well-known Bologna process, which aims to create a common higher education space in Europe, has stimulated more attention being given to the importance of both intra-regional and inter-regional co-operation in higher education in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. This chapter focuses on the concept and process of the regionalization of African higher education. A major assumption underpinning this discussion is that regionalization and internationalization processes of higher education coexist and are compatible and complementary processes. There is much debate on this topic but for the purposes of this discussion they are not seen to be mutually exclusive or contradictory processes (Ogachi, 2009). It is not an either/or situation. In fact, both processes include similar activities, actors, and outcomes but regionalization emphasizes Africa-wide or intra-regional initiatives. While socioeconomic perspectives about regionalization vary from discipline to discipline and from country to country (Cooper, Hughes, & Lombaerde, 2008), there are some J. Knight & E. T. Woldegiorgis (Eds.), Regionalization of African Higher Education, 11–28. © 2017 Sense Publishers. All rights reserved.
J. KNIGHT
common elements and approaches which help to analyse the phenomenon of higher education regionalization. Understanding Regionalization A review of academic articles and grey literature, such as policy documents, blogs, papers, and conference reports, reveals a vibrant debate on the topic of regions and their importance, formation, and function. Of interest are the different interp
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