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Mark Paterson
Mark Paterson is a communications and policy consultant, writer and editor.
African universities are ‘diploma mills’
To fix this problem, clarity is required regarding the different purposes of education and therefore of educational institutions
Universities in Africa ‘don’t understand what they are’
No one is going to beat the African drum if we don’t do it. Universities must be wary of giving up their strengths for the sake of ‘radical transformation’
‘Change the knowledge economy into a knowledge democracy’
Teaching students critical literacy, greater collaboration among institutions and datafication are crucial
‘White fragility’ is damaging SA universities
Academics at a recent meeting called for white liberals to acknowledge they ‘are the problem’
Academics bemoan ‘toxic’ politics
Senior university managers say political parties should be banned from campuses, citing a climate of fear
Shaping cities goes beyond student beds
Sustainable urban development requires the collaboration of municipalities and the universities to advance social integration
SADC trade deal with EU criticised for not promoting regional economic development
Supporters of the pact say its programmes provide assistance that facilitate trade
No tidy truths in the post-colony
Recent debate exposes both student activists’ and academics’ blind spots on decolonisation
SADC must be more open about region-building
The bloc needs to adopt a more genuinely democratic approach to spreading the word about its work to win broader popular support
Why mere knowledge transfer fails
States and academics must collaborate or risk foreign experts taking over policy making