University as regional development agent : a counterfactual analysis of an African University

The contribution of universities to regional development has in the last few decades gained significant currency. Inter alia, this contribution has been through steered national, regional, and institutional policies aimed at enhancing national development, good governance, human capital creation and innovation in an increasing knowledgedependent economy, and through the universities‟ core technologies of teaching and research. Based on empirical findings from an African case study, this paper argues that other forms of contributions to regional development exist, which are neither from deliberate efforts nor steered by direct policies. This article proposes new forms of contributions termed „unintended contributions‟, in which universities become growth poles by virtue of being located in a particular region. Using the counterfactual and „export and import substitution‟ methods of analysis, this study shows the various ways in which a rural university in Cameroon has „contributed to regional development as a „growth pole‟.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/raer202017-06-30hb2016Occupational Therap

The scholarship of university-community engagement : interrogating Boyer's model

Albeit with different conceptualisations, the engagement between universities and external communi- ties continues to gain significant currency. While the emphasis has been on more socio-economic relevance in a period of significant financial constraints and a changing clientele, a more significant area of engagement has been on promoting the scholarship of engagement towards regional/local development. The praxis and outcomes of community engagement continues to be surrounded by strong debate on issue such as its impact on the core functions of the university, teaching and research. This article sheds light on the community engagement practices from a case-study university in Africa. Using Ernest Boyer’s proposed scholarship of engagement model as a framework, findings provide evidence that, different contextual specificities affect the way university-community engagement practices evolve. The methodology involved an analysis of primary and secondary data collected through interviews with policy and academic staff. The article concludes with an argument that the success of university-community engagement in fostering social and economic development significantly relates to how much the practices of engagement is foregrounded in the universities’ core policy and practice. But also on how much academic scholarship draws on engagement activities. The challenge lies in ensuring this balance.Norwegian Research Development Agency, NORAD.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ijedudev2017-07-31hb2016Education Management and Policy Studie