The African Academic Diaspora and African Higher Education

Abstract

Because of the focus on the impact of “brain drain,” discussions centered on the African academic diaspora often fail to highlight the expansive and innovative relationships between institutions of higher education across Africa and African academic diaporans. Recent initiatives, specifically the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program, seek to build on existing and develop new relationships to promote academic exchanges and collaborations to internationalize and strengthen the capacities of African universities.

Human resources for research: building bridges through the Diaspora

“…More specifically, these issues include large differences in remuneration and living conditions for work in the low-income countries, juxtaposed with a demand for skilled workers in the high-income countries. Political repression and instability are further reasons for emigration ( 9 ). In Canada alone, 297 African-born academics were employed in 124 institutions in 2008, whereas between 20,000 and 25,000 African-born academics were employed at academic institutions in the United States ( 10 ).…”

“…Political repression and instability are further reasons for emigration ( 9 ). In Canada alone, 297 African-born academics were employed in 124 institutions in 2008, whereas between 20,000 and 25,000 African-born academics were employed at academic institutions in the United States ( 10 ). International mobility could be developed to the benefit of both the importers of scientists as well as the exporters ( 6 ).…”

“…There are many examples of existing programmes for strengthening research ‘back home' from around the world, for example, China ( 18 – 21 ), India ( 18 , 22 ), Latin America ( 23 ), Nigeria ( 14 ), and South Africa ( 24 , 25 ). As Foulds and Zeleza ( 10 ) report, many Diaspora academics wish to share their skills with institutions on their home continent and see their relationship as a national service. The Wits Diaspora Programme described here not only allows for alumni to return ‘home' to participate in strengthening research in their home country but also allows for talented researchers at Wits to travel to a resource-rich setting to acquire and develop skills.…”

Diaspora linkages benefit both sides: a single partnership experience

“…The reasons for the mass emigration of professionals from Africa are multiple. Quality of life, access to advanced technologies, higher salaries [7] and differences in remuneration and living conditions in low-income countries [8], career and educational opportunities in centres of knowledge [9], poor working conditions [10], political upheaval and instability [8] are some of the reasons cited for the 'brain drain' from Africa.…”

“…'brain gain', to reinvigorate those areas depleted by 'brain drain'. This concept is extensively explored in the literature [7][8][9][10][13][14][15][16][17][18][19], where the positive value of Diaspora programs was shown to stimulate endogenous capacity development, research outputs and skills development, as well as having an impact on the development of policies by health agencies and governments [10,13].…”