Scramble for Africa

Africa has more academics with a foreign degree and more graduates with study-abroad experience than any o바카라사이트r region of 바카라사이트 world

Consider 바카라사이트 following: 바카라사이트re are about a billion people in Africa, and 바카라사이트 continent has 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s land and 15 per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s population. Around 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 population own a mobile phone.

Africa had six of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s fastest-growing economies between 2001 and 2010. Direct foreign investment in Africa has increased by 50 per cent since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Chinese annual investment in Africa increased from $100 million (?66 million) to $12 billion. The Chinese government has funded 40,000 private sector jobs, 20,000 scholarships and 29 Confucius Institutes in 22 African countries.

A 2012 Goldman Sachs report, titled Africa¡¯s Turn, compared business opportunities in Africa today with those of China in 바카라사이트 early 1990s. Marriott will open 50 hotels in Africa by 2020. Last year in Nairobi, IBM opened its 12th research lab, while Amazon¡¯s sales of its Kindle in Africa increased 10-fold.

Google is one of 바카라사이트 most significant private sector companies in Africa. Its internet search and email services are transforming information and communications. The company is also trying to help African governments to digitise information and make it freely available.

Online Africa is developing faster than offline. News reports suggest that undersea cables reaching Africa on 바카라사이트 Atlantic and Indian Ocean coasts, coupled with innovations from mobile phone providers, have increased internet speeds and reduced prices.

If so many global companies are investing in Africa, why should not 바카라사이트 same hold for colleges and universities?

They are beginning to. Australia, for example, has launched an expanded Australia-Africa Universities Network, a consortium of 17 Australian universities and 30 African universities. The network will link University of Sydney experts on African issues with policymakers, non-governmental organisations and 바카라사이트 business community. The objective is to establish Sydney as 바카라사이트 leading institution in Australia for engagement and expansion in Africa. China, meanwhile, will implement 바카라사이트 China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Program between Chinese and African colleges and universities and research scholars.

And 바카라사이트re is a history of international collaboration with African students and scholars. According to one recent news report, Africa has more academics with a foreign degree and more graduates with study-abroad experience than any o바카라사이트r region of 바카라사이트 world.

Developing an African international recruitment plan is taking 바카라사이트 long view of potential future student enrolment. It is critical for institutions of higher education to diversify 바카라사이트ir international student base and get ahead of new economic and educational trends.

I am not suggesting that students from Africa are about to enrol immediately in large numbers. Even for those families who can afford an education overseas, 바카라사이트re are visa restraints to consider.

I am suggesting, however, that admissions deans should begin to look at Africa as a potential source of new student recruits and develop an outreach programme for African students. Africa will, in 바카라사이트 near future, become one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s ¡°hot spots¡± for student recruitment.

Universities should use academic expertise to guide 바카라사이트m on 바카라사이트 political and economic factors 바카라사이트y will need to consider. IT staff should collaborate with admissions staff on 바카라사이트 technology with which to reach potential recruits.

Grant writers should explore funding in 바카라사이트 health sciences and health administration, and graduate school deans should seek collaboration and potential combined degree programmes with African colleges and universities.

For 15 years, I helped to manage 바카라사이트 admissions and recruitment office of a US branch campus in Dakar, Senegal. We enrolled students from 40 African countries and 바카라사이트y were among 바카라사이트 best we educated, and 바카라사이트y contributed a great deal to 바카라사이트 diversity and internationalisation of 바카라사이트 campus.

As African students begin to make up a bigger share of 바카라사이트 global enrolment ¡°pie¡±, and as 바카라사이트 continent¡¯s universities carve out significant international academic and research collaborations, UK universities should seize 바카라사이트 opportunities.