higher education Donor ha harmonization f forum 8 N Nov 2 2018 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Business as unusual: the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation in research & higher education

• Kingiri An

Ann P PhD hD

Africa icaLics S ics Secr cretaria iat www.africalics.org www.acts-net.org

• Donor ha

harmonization f forum 8 N Nov 2 2018 Copenha hagen, D Denmark

Out Outline line

• SDGs, technological revolution and globalization economy

agenda: challenges and opportunities for Africa

• Turning the tide - business unusual
• Some lessons from AfricaLics & IREK projects
• Role of development partners in the transitioning process of

research in I & E via higher education in Africa

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SD SDGs a Gs and the gl the globalisa sati tion ec economy a y agen genda: ch challenges and opportunities for Africa

SDGs a and t the he i industrial d development c cha hallenge i in Af Africa

• There is fear that a large share of Africa’s population risks being

left behind

• African industrial sector only around 10% (deindustrialisation)

which weakens the potential for long term sustained growth

• Africa’s growth has been without human development (failure to

use capital accumulation to grow manufacturing and improve human wellbeing)

• The share of informal sector employment keeps growing and

underemployment in key sectors like agriculture remains a major problem.

• Youth population and unemployment is exploding – also for

trained young people

Locating f futuristic Af African y youth h

Inf Inform

• rmal e

al econom conomy: v : very re y rele levant ant f for A

• r Africa’s

frica’s de developm lopment nt

Regions 1975-79 1980-84 1985-89 1990-94 1995-99 2000-04 2005-10 Northern Africa 39.6 34.1 47.5 47.3 53.0 Sub-Saharan Africa 67.3 72.5 76.0 86.9 63.3 70.0 Western Africa 83.0 75.6 Central Africa 80.5 Eastern Africa 65.4 Southern Africa 62.7 Latin America 52.5 54.2 55.9 57.7 Southern and South Eastern Asia 52.9 65.2 69.9 69.7 Western Asia 43.2 Transition countries 20.7 22.6

So Source: e: Cha harmes ( (2012), u updated w with n h new c countries

Employment i in t the he i informal e economy a as a a p percentage o

• f n

non-agricultural e employment

3D Systems – 3D Printing

Imagine 3D Printer – Food Printing Drone Technologies Square – Mobile payment solutions

The he wo world i is cha hanging – – N New techn hnological re revolut

• lution

ion ( (4IR) – –

(conf

confounde

• unded by

by m megatrends fo for t the he 2 21st

st ce

cent ntur ury – – polit politics ics, , climat climate c cha hange, e energy, r resource sca scarci city ty, m mega-cit citie ies, o

• pen inno

innovat ation ion – – i internet/conne connect ctiv ivit ity et etc) -

• capabilit

capabilitie ies to to c combine new o

• r old
• ld kn

knowl wled edge ge i is ke key ( (e.g. R RE & & d digital p platforms)

Con Conti tinen enta tal r resp espon

• nse: A

se: AUC se UC setti tting the P g the Pace thr ce throu

• ugh STI

gh STISA- 202

• 2024

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AU AUC- Setting the Pace through STISA- 2024

• Focus sectors: Agriculture, health, infrastructure, mining,

security, water, energy, environment

• Priority areas-what is going to happen (aligned to SDGs)
• Pillars-how it is going to happen
• Upgrading/building research infrastructure; enhancing

professional and technical competencies; innovation and entrepreneurship; Providing an enabling environment for STI development

• Respective countries responding in different ways to

globalization & continental policy initiatives (STI-policy initiatives, collaborative funding mechanisms, increased funding – but more needs to be done)

Afr Africa ica’s tr ’s transition sitionin ing t g to a

• an in

innovation tion led led, , kn knowled edge b ge based sed econ econom

• my – cr

y – criti tica cal i issu ssues es

The unique African context has implications for research and innovation; and how higher education respond to this:

• Disconnect between policies/strategies and implementation
• Excessive focus on science, technology, innovation based learning
• Too little focus on experiential learning (doing, using, interacting) that calls for

incorporation of a wider group of stakeholders (SMEs, informal sector, youth, gender etc) key in NIS (RIS,LIS).

• Limited focus on African context/special challenges ((opportunities)
• In line with this, African universities and higher education system
• bliged to become more innovative and reconnect with society.
• Increasingly, global universities’ success will be measured based on how

they deliver on UN targets (see UNESCO reports)

• Different forms of knowledge and (innovation) capabilities that must

work together in the transitioning process – must inform how African research and higher education respond to globalisation

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Pr Pressu essure fr e from sta

• m stakehold

eholder ers a s and glob globaliza lization tion

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12

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Tu Turning the tide….business unusual

• Reviewed or new policy and institutional configurations (institutional

reconfigurations that support meaningful partnerships & innovation capacity building)

• Embedding innovation (& entrepreneurship) in major policy instruments particularly

education and training policies

• Integration of the third mission of universities into an institutional strategy that

accommodates the increasing number of stakeholders and the resources/capabilities/ skills they bring along

• Strategic (win-win) partnerships made of motivated stakeholders pursuing broader social &

economic developmental goals.

• University-industry partnerships built around innovation system thinking/clusters (triple

helix)

• Think about new funding mechanisms that promote research and innovation focused

capabilities building (e.g. science granting councils initiative (SGCI) in building capacity of SGCs in 15 African countries (https://sgciafrica.org/en-za)

• Strategic research and innovation capabilities development
• Innovation & entrepreneurship to drive/underpin R&D focusing on local problems
• Holistic capacity building- Individual and institutional capacity building; plus strengthened

networks across local and oversees universities and countries

• Cross/trans disciplinary research for inter-active and intra-active learning and competence

building – e.g. local system of innovation and (global) value chains

Afr Africa icaLics: b ics: build ildin ing ca g capabilities in ilities in in innovation tion a and de developm lopment nt re resear arch and and act action ion

• AfricaLics Conferences
• PhD academies
• Visiting fellowships
• Research projects and

formation of hubs

• Teaching in Innovation and development (Master module)
• Influencing curriculum development at universities
• Influencing STI policies (African Innovation Summits; Science Forum

in Africa; Transformation, Innovation and Policy Consortium)

• Key approach:
• Focus of capacity building at both individual and institutional
• Networking at different scales and across disciplines and national borders (promote inter and intractive

learning)

For more visit www.africalics.org

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Using re Using rese sear arch h ev evidence t to

• inf

influe luence nce policy policy ma maki king in in re rene newable able en ener ergy gy sect sector

• r in

in K Ken enya

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• Capabilities building is paramount in discussions about innovation a as tool for

economic and social growth towards sustainable and inclusive growth

• Need to change policies so they support development of local/domestic

capabilities (notably engineering, technical training centres etc. e.g. in solar and wind technologies)

• Interaction between knowledge institutions, policy makers and the private sector is

critical

• Consider how best to foster endogenous creativity and entrepreneurship to induce

structural change at the macro level For details about IREK visit ht

http://i //irekproject.net

Ro Role of development partners…. …...

1.

Rethink mechanisms to:

• support/fund E & I in research & HE (what lessons can we draw from collaborative

mechanisms that are STI spurred e.g. the SGCI?;

• be challenge based – challenge & impact funds, venture capital funds etc–
• Support development of metrics/indicators to guide in performance monitoring &

evaluation (for social/business impact)

2.

Reflect and act on “windows of opportunities” that are potentially innovative – e.g. digital technologies/ICT, renewables technologies and other service sectors while maintaining support for up-grading in labor-intensives sectors (agriculture, natural resources etc)

3.

Support institutional reconfigurations and capabilities building at higher education institutions towards:

• Producing and promoting productive and responsive research in I & E through higher

education

• Strategic and inclusive partnership arrangements (that harness knowledge and skills

multiple helixes to bring in missing actors in triple helix)

• Promotion of quality in education in I & E fields given the shift towards mass education

(promote problem based learning, training modules, curricula etc).

Ø others consideration are possible – for discussion during the two days 17

• Thank you for listening….

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