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Higher education in the Third World: status symbol or instrument for development?

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Abstract

Southern countries have invested rather heavily in higher education. Yet, their development is severely hampered by problems originating from both national policy conditions and institutional weaknesses. This paper presents an analysis of these problems through a critical analysis of the World Bank Report onEducation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Policies for Adjustment, Revitalization and Expansion. The paper further highlights the results of a recently published comparative study of higher agricultural education institutions in ten countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. By carefully examining the concrete mandates, expectations and actual possibilities of higher education institutions, this paper tries to explore the academic and societal frontiers of higher education in the South. The paper ends by suggesting ways to improve higher education in the South by using the instrument of South-North university co-operation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Education, Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Wout Van Den Bor

  2. Department of Rural Extension Studies, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

    James C. M. Shute

Authors
  1. Wout Van Den Bor
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  2. James C. M. Shute
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Van Den Bor, W., Shute, J.C.M. Higher education in the Third World: status symbol or instrument for development?. High Educ 22, 1–15 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02351196

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