Does freeze on new varsities make economic sense?

Primary school kids on a visit to UoN: Where will they school when they grow up? Photo By XN Iraki.

Nine new universities were given charters but a freeze on building new universities came into effect. That was long overdue not because the new universities are competitors to my own, but it makes economic sense.

Interestingly, we are far from being among the countries with most universities in the world. The list has surprises with among the top 10 being India, USA, Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Bangladesh, China, France, Mexico, Japan and Indonesia.

All our public universities get money from the same source — the Government and the increase in numbers means the money is spread thinly among the institutions.

But it should not be lost on us that the rapid expansion of universities was a result of devolution, with units demanding their own institutions of higher learning. The political part of this expansion is not lost; charters were issued by the President, at Statehouse, the seat of political power. What does this freeze on new varsities mean?

First, there are some counties that do not have a university and they are likely to demand one. A university, to most counties and regions is a mark of prestige. The building of new universities had often been controversial with their location highly contested even in the courts.

The locals see the new institutions as sources of economic growth. The students will need food, accommodation and other services and these are provided locally. The only ugly part is that locals often want one of their own to be the VC.

Two, as promised, the freeze should be followed by concrete steps in strengthening the established universities. The steps include ensuring that diversity reigns in administration, faculty and student body. Universities bearing names of tribes should be changed.

One simple step in ensuring diversity is to attract students from neighbouring countries. Thinking long-term, I see no reason why we should not have more students from Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Somalia, DRC and all across the region. Interestingly, we have quite a number from West Africa.

In my class, there are Chinese students but none from TZ or Uganda. The spirit of East Africa Community does not seem to be reflected in higher education. My dream is that one day, the University of East Africa should become a reality. Even UN has a university.

Second is redefining why we pursue higher education. Traditionally, it was the shortest route to a good job. Not necessarily now. One of the hallmarks of the past graduates was their confidence to face the world. Some say money like “boom” fuelled this confidence and students never worried about food or accommodation.

Lots of synergy

We may not go back to the good old days when slices of bread were used to wipe tea on the table, but ensuring that all students who deserve public funds are given will go a long way in empowering them. Reliable data about the parents’ income can easily get the needy cases.

There is also a case for more scholarships. The Equity Bank Wings to Fly programme can be replicated by other corporations. Prominent individuals should offer scholarships and immortalise their names. Imagine a graduate introducing him/ herself as an Indeche Scholar, named after a sponsor called Indeche; just like Fulbright scholars.

The other strengthening factor is economic. Can we ensure the varsities compete amongst themselves for research grants, patents, spawning new businesses and  contribution to society? Do farmers’ neighbouring universities get better yields on their crops?

The higher education needs lots of synergy and an ecosystem that fosters entrepreneurship and economic growth. Next State House meeting should be to award universities that have created more jobs, filed more patents and had the greatest impact on their locality.

The other way is focusing on what they teach. The skewness towards humanities must be addressed. STEM empowers students more, ensuring they can work anywhere in world. You can be hired as a computer scientist anywhere in the world, but having a PhD in political science (no pun intended) cannot make you an MCA in another country.

Universities need to benchmark with the best in the world. Our graduates should not be intimidated by those of Harvard, Waseda, Cape Town or anywhere else. In fact, we need to raise our graduates to be at par with our athletes who set standards globally.

Finally, we need centres of excellence, something akin to the old University of East Africa. Law was in Dar es Salaam, medicine was in Makerere while engineering was in Nairobi. What are the new universities in Kenya famous for? Can you answer without scratching your head?

Throughout history, universities have generated knowledge and shared it with whoever is likely to put it into the best use. We need industrial parks around universities just as we are building them along the SGR and power generation sources like Ol Karia.

After all, one of the most important ingredients in economic growth is well-trained brains. Just visit the Silicon Valley and see what the universities are doing to the US economy.

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