Towards an Agenda for SoTL in Africa?

Sub-Saharan Africa, a diverse, largely impoverished and troubled region, has a pressing need for economic and social development. Given the ever-increasing importance of advanced knowledge and skills in the contemporary world, the education systems in many African countries are a major concern. In particular, it is essential that the capacity of the region’s higher education systems to produce capable graduates should grow rapidly and strongly, in the interests of internal development and to avoid further widening of the NorthSouth divide. This essay gives a brief account of the situation and some key issues in sub-Saharan African higher education, outlines aspects of South Africa’s experience that may prefigure developments elsewhere on the continent, and offers a view of what kind of role SoTL might play in developing-country contexts.