The Demographics of African Faculty in the East African Community (DAF EAC) project, funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York (G-21-58066), has embarked on its second phase to improve faculty data management across the region. Following a successful inaugural phase from 2021 to 2023, which revealed significant data gaps in higher education institutions (HEIs), the project now aims to refine data collection methods and integrate lessons from earlier initiatives.
Phase 1 of DAF EAC exposed fragmented and inconsistent faculty data at institutional, national, and regional levels in East Africa. Projections indicated that universities like the University of Burundi would need 1,400 additional faculty members by 2030, the University of Juba in South Sudan would require 620 more faculty members, and Uganda's Makerere University would need 5,800 additional faculty members to meet rising student enrollment demands.
The second phase focuses on establishing a comprehensive data collection and management framework. This phase will integrate university data systems through national bodies and the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), enhancing data coherence and accessibility.
The launch of Phase 2 coincides with the 4th Biennial Conference on Catalysing Systemic Social Transformation Through Research and Innovation, hosted by Kenya's Commission for University Education. This underscores the project's alignment with ongoing academic advancements and regional educational priorities.
Implemented by a consortium including the IUCEA, the Association of African Universities (AAU), Education Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA), and the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), Phase 2 of DAF EAC will run from 2023 to 2025. Its objectives include developing unified guidelines for data collection and management within the EAC, promoting best practices, and advocating for standardized data protocols across the region.
Prof. Olusola Oyewole, Secretary General of AAU, emphasized the importance of reliable data for informed decision-making in African higher education. He highlighted the establishment of a continental Higher Education Data Working Group to support data-related initiatives.
Dr. Lucy Heady, CEO of ESSA, underscored the consortium's commitment to addressing systemic data scarcity in higher education, noting the critical role of unified data in policymaking and education quality enhancement.
By the project's conclusion, the DAF EAC consortium aims to establish a coordinated data system that informs higher education policies and reforms, paving the way for improved educational outcomes and workforce readiness across East Africa.
Article by Jed Mwangi
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