Good Governance for Sustainable Quality University Education in Tanzania

University governance includes means and processes which facilitate the functioning of a university in terms of making the right decisions and taking actions at the right time. Laws, policies, strategies, guidelines, procedures and practices all affect the extent to which universities can proactively and positively respond to internal and external challenges. It also refers to both the relationships between internal and external governance structures and actors and the manner in which they influence each other

The Future and Relevance of Nigerian Universities and other Tertiary Institutions

Higher education is the bedrock of sustainable national development, which encompasses structural transformation of an economy, human capital development, technological innovation, forging of democratic citizenship, social cohesion, nation building, and preserving the earth. Like other countries, these were the reasons for the establishment of universities and other tertiary education institutions in Nigeria. However, over the past three decades, beginning in the 1980s, in spite of increases in the number of higher education institutions, the sector has been bedevilled with several challenges that have blighted its fortunes and raised serious questions about the role and relevance of Nigerian universities and other tertiary education institutions to national development. The contributors to this book offer authoritative and eloquent accounts of these challenges and explicitly draw out the policy implications on how the challenges can be overcome in order for Nigerian higher education institutions to regain relevance to the developmental imperatives of the country, especially in the 21st century and beyond. This book will be of great value to students, leaders of higher education institutions, and policy makers in government and the private sector to chart new policy directions to revitalise the Nigerian higher education sector in order to be responsive to the needs of the country and its people, especially the teeming population of restless youths

Political Representation in Africa: Towards a Conceptual Framework

Political representation as a central component of democratic governance is a key challenge in the African quest for democratic development. Accordingly, this article reviews theories of political representation. On the basis of the review and subsequent critique of existing theories, I suggest some areas that require  attention from African scholars, civil society, political leaders and policymakers. I argue that the responsiveness of the political system and public policy to the needs and aspirations of the African people would be considerably dependent on an  inclusive system that gives ordinary people a voice in governance and policy choices.La représentation politique en tant que composante centrale de la gouvernance démocratique constitue un défi majeur au processus de développement démocratique. Cet article analyse les théories de la représentation politique. Sur la base de cette analyse et de la critique qui est faite des théories existantes, je propose quelques domaines qui méritent toute l’attention des universitaires des universitaires, de la société civile, des dirigeants politiques et décideurs du continent africain. J’affirme par la suite que la réactivité du système politique et des politiques publiques aux besoins et aspirations des populations africaines dépend de l’instauration d’un système inclusif permettant au citoyen de se faire entendre au niveau de la gouvernance et des choix politiques

The African State and Socio-Economic Development: An Institutional Perspective

No Abstract Available Afr. j. polit. sci. Vol.9(1) 2004: 84-10

Democratic developmental States? Malaysia and South Africa´s institutional structures for incubating an indigenous entreprenuerial class and reducing poverty

The promotion of an inclusive development and incubation of an indigenous entrepreneurial class were some of the key challenges that faced Malaysia after political independence from colonial rule and South Africa after the end of apartheid. It is therefore no surprise that the Malaysian state after its first decade of independence and the South African state immediately after the democratic elections in 1994 set out to reduce poverty and promote an indigenous capitalist class. This paper will focus on the institutional foundation of the Malaysian and South African state that underpinned their development. In particular, it will focus on the internal institutional characteristics of the state and its relations to the indigenous business class. The focus on the latter is important because the participation of societal actors in the policy process is one of the defining characteristics of a democratic developmental state