East or west, our institutions of higher learning must shape up or ship out

Since 2000, China’s influence in Sub-Saharan Africa either through direct investment, lending or as a trading partner in harvesting the sub-region’s untapped expansive natural resources has been impressive.

Now the emerging engagement will soon be extended to higher education. According to a World Bank briefing, the First Africa-China-World Bank Education Partnership Forum will be organised by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, whose agenda will be to establish university linkages in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, collectively known as STEM disciplines.