Integration has historically been viewed as a pathway to development and poverty reduction in Africa. As in other parts of the world, it is viewed as a means to achieve sustained economic growth and socio-economic development and overcome structural challenges such as political fragmentation, small market size and the landlocked nature of some member states.
Within southern Africa, the 15 member states that comprise the Southern African Development Community (SADC) share geographical, historical, cultural and often linguistic ties but differ vastly in size and their levels of socio-economic development. They also face challenges of persistent poverty, failing education systems and health crises that will require ingenuity, resourcefulness and strong leadership to overcome.
Tackling these challenges requires a regional perspective. The role of higher education in promoting development and regional integration is generally viewed as contributing to scientific and technological innovation (research) and developing the high-level skills (teaching) needed to drive national and regional development in a knowledge-based economy. However, through greater engagement with their social, political, cultural and economic contexts (community engagement), higher education institutions have the potential to nurture the creativity, innovation, robust engagement, leadership and crossborder exchanges that are required to tackle the persistent challenges of development and regional integration.
Authored by the Southern African Regional Universities Association and the Volunteer and Service Enquiry Southern Africa, this paper explores the potential for engaging universities in promoting greater regional integration in the southern African region. The paper, which was part funded by OSISA, begins by providing some insight into the developmental challenges facing the region and discusses the regional integration project in Africa and in the region, noting some of the challenges faced in the process.
The focus then shifts to consider the role of universities and the external pressures in today’s changing world that are pushing them to actively engage with their contexts.
Some of the internal debates relating to community engagement as a function of universities are highlighted, and then three broad areas in which universities can contribute to strengthening and furthering southern African regional integration are discussed.
The paper concludes with some questions for further discussion.
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