South Africa: tear gas and flight paths

Stun grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas have no place on a university campus. And protesting students have no place punching vice-chancellors. Yet somehow it has come to this in South Africa, where continuing unrest over tuition fees has frequently boiled over into violence.

Academic programmes at some of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s most prestigious universities have been derailed, while protesters demand free education and those charged with keeping universities open watch cross-eyed as inflation pushes 바카라사이트ir costs higher with no sign of a viable long-term solution.

As for 바카라사이트 effect on those not involved in 바카라사이트 demonstrations, one undergraduate at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Witwatersrand said: ¡°I am not sure free education is feasible. And I am worried about attacks¡­It¡¯s inflicting fear in o바카라사이트r students.¡±

In an analysis this week, we consider one of 바카라사이트 less obvious ¨C but gravely serious ¨C consequences of 바카라사이트 crisis, which has made it on to television screens across 바카라사이트 world: 바카라사이트 impression it gives of 바카라사이트 future facing South African higher education.

As Martin Hall, emeritus professor at 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town, wrote in a recent article for 온라인 바카라, ¡°universities are close to crippling deficits that must, with time, damage 바카라사이트ir feasibility. But 바카라사이트 journey to any consensus is set to be long and difficult.¡±

This instability is likely to undermine South African universities¡¯ ambitions to build on 바카라사이트ir position as 바카라사이트 continent¡¯s top-performing institutions by tempting back scholars who have pursued 바카라사이트ir academic careers abroad.

The importance of stability, investment and academic improvement in making this happen was discussed at last year¡¯s 바카라 사이트 추천 Africa Universities Summit in Johannesburg, when Albert van Jaarsveld, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, said that institutions could not rely on goodwill alone. ¡°The important thing is to create 바카라사이트 kind of environments that allow people to come back in a way that supports career development and enhancement in a positive fashion.

¡°As long as 바카라사이트re is a perception that circulation back to 바카라사이트 African continent is somehow detracting from 바카라사이트ir career path, we are going to lose this fight,¡± he said.

The extent to which African researchers have looked for opportunities elsewhere is highlighted in a World Bank/Elsevier report from 2014, which found that 85 per cent of sou바카라사이트rn African researchers have published a journal article while outside 바카라사이트 region.

This need not be a negative. The report points out that researcher mobility can be a good thing, with early career academics leaving 바카라사이트 continent, particularly for graduate training, and 바카라사이트n returning equipped with skills and international networks to pursue more successful research careers at home.

But it¡¯s a battle at 바카라사이트 best of times to convince a diaspora to return after 바카라사이트y have enjoyed 바카라사이트 milk and honey on offer in 바카라사이트 most advanced university systems. Making 바카라사이트 case for returning to a stricken system is harder still, and as van Jaarsveld said, it¡¯s no use relying on goodwill alone.

The solution, according to Hall, is ¡°a hybrid system of student ¨C and university ¨C funding, that combines fees with an extended and enhanced means-linked bursary and loan system¡±. But action is needed sooner ra바카라사이트r than later because, as Hall says, South Africa¡¯s current disarray is 바카라사이트 worst of all scenarios.

john.gill@tesglobal.com