Mark Paterson and Thierry Luescher

If African universities are to meet their mandate to support development on the continent, they must change with the times and restructure, said Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela, the vice provost for international affairs and global strategies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the United States.

“An African university of the future is one that provides access on an equitable basis; it should interrogate the curriculum; and it should not only address national needs but adopt a Pan-African approach in pooling resources within its region to leverage regional strengths and respond to regional needs,” she said.

This article is based on an interview conducted by Professor Relebohile Moletsane for the ‘The Imprint of Education’ project, which is being implemented by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), South Africa, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. This project, which includes a series of critical engagements with experienced scholars and thought leaders on their reimaginings of higher education in Africa, investigates current and future challenges facing the sector, including best practices and innovations. A full transcript of the interview can be downloaded from the HSRC’s website.