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The Diffusion of Higher Education Reforms from the Global North. The Case of Sub-Saharan Africa

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From Actors to Reforms in European Higher Education

Part of the book series: Higher Education Dynamics ((HEDY,volume 58))

Abstract

Globalization has caused various reforms in higher education. The reforms that originated from the Global North have been diffused into the rest of the world – the Global South – in different ways. Sub-Saharan African higher education has also undergone reforms. Historically, colonialism and the ‘external dimension’ of the Bologna Process have played an important role in the reforms of higher education in Africa. This chapter addresses the reform processes in Africa in respect to the interplay between internal and external influences. The main argument is that the colonially incepted higher education institutions in sub-Sahara African have been adopting higher education reforms that have worsened the underdevelopment of higher education in Africa.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Generally, the Bologna Process was intended to strengthen the competitiveness and attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Specifically, it had the objective of adopting a system of easily readable and comparable degrees; establishing a European Credit Transfer System (ECTS); promoting the mobility of students and researchers; ensuring European cooperation in quality assurance; and introducing a European dimension into higher education (Emnet et al., 2015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mekelle University, Mek’ele, Ethiopia

    Sintayehu Kassaye Alemu

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  1. Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Manja Klemenčič

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Alemu, S.K. (2022). The Diffusion of Higher Education Reforms from the Global North. The Case of Sub-Saharan Africa. In: Klemenčič, M. (eds) From Actors to Reforms in European Higher Education. Higher Education Dynamics, vol 58. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09400-2_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09400-2_11

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