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The Association of International Educators (NAFSA), an organisation dedicated to international education and exchange, has challenged institutions of higher education in Africa to establish more collaborative partnerships with global institutions to build adequate capacity for development.
It said universities must become more international in nature because the critical problems such as climate change, migration and epidemics confronting the world today required strong collaborations among nations, institutions and disciplines to solve.
Dr Fanta Aw, CEO and Executive Director of NAFSA, who made the call, however, cautioned that the partnerships must be equitable and relevant to the development of Africa. Dr Aw was delivering a public lecture at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) as part of her visit to the school’s Office of International Relations. The lecture focused on the topic: “Advancing international education exchange-partnerships between African Higher Education Institutions and NAFSA: Association of International Educators.”
“It does not have to be the Western way. The solution is, it needs to be indigenous to Africa because we have much knowledge and innovation in our continent that the rest of the world can learn and benefit from. “The ability to initiate collaborative research and integrate indigenous knowledge systems into global research efforts is a real opportunity for us,” she stressed. She advised that institutions must first appreciate each party’s strengths and weaknesses before entering into partnerships to ensure knowledge was transferred in both ways, to avoid a dependent relationship.
As a product of international education herself, Dr Aw emphasised how important it was for every student to get an international and intercultural perspective during their learning. With the youngest population in the world and rich culture, history, and traditions, it was the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to harness the unique demography of Africa through strategic collaboration in higher education, Dr Aw said.
She entreated stakeholders to figure out ways to accelerate bilateral exchange programmes and leverage opportunities including funding and scholarships for travelling of students Additionally, she said institutions must “internationalise at home” by enhancing their curricula with some foreign contents to give students who could not study in other countries an international experience.
“Technology has offered us new and different opportunities. Many African countries are now engaged in online international learning. “We have the opportunity with technology and digital platforms to bridge some of the geographical barriers and enhance global collaboration,” she added. Dr Aw also proposed joint research projects among institutions to address some of the global and regional challenges.
With more than 11,000 members in more than 4,500 institutions across more than 150 countries, the CEO and Executive Director of NAFSA called on all higher education institutions on the continent to collaborate with the Association to facilitate their internationalisation. Professor Moses Jojo Eghan, the Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, who represented the Vice Chancellor of UCC as the chair, conceded that UCC was doing its best to internationalise, but it was not enough.
He, thus, pledged the university’s commitment to ramping up efforts aimed at making the institution more international than it was now. The Association of International Educators is the world’s largest and most comprehensive non-profit Association dedicated to international education and exchange, working to advance policies and practices that ensure a more interconnected, peaceful world today and for generations to come.
Source: GNA
