Twentieth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

The meaning of higher education (HE) is sharply intriguing both concerns and investigation. For Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) two major perspectives are flouring namely (i) that universities are not the spotlights that contribute to social growth through systematic knowledge; (ii) the contradictory theory advocating that scholarship and research are fundamental for development considering the swift towards knowledge based economy with universities playing an essential role in advancing knowledge that influence policy and practice. Drawing from these delinking views/schools of thought, this paper embarks on conceptual and empirical facts that have influenced the debate. It adds new knowledge by bringing the concept of drift from the dominant saga, which has developed along with the quick growth of universities into a new model based on the necessity for professional and vocational training. This new approach lessens the demise that HE is irrelevant to the region and characterizes universities as sites of knowledge cultures that provide conceptually and empirically solutions to countries’ problems. As result, an incipient institution called professional university is to loom with emphasis on the impact of practical knowledge (both academic and professional) as a new concept that defines meaning.