Universities in Africa face a number of challenges.
- An increased need for higher education: As a result of the expansion of primary and secondary education and population growth, the number of young people eligible to study is steadily increasing in all African countries. This puts universities under pressure, because they have to ensure quality of higher education teaching facing an increased number of students with the same level of funding. This requires a qualitative and quantitative improvement of teaching staff.
- Political and social actors expect application-oriented research that is relevant to the economy and society: However, funding and infrastructure for this are oftentimes lacking, yet universities are expected to produce technological innovations in cooperation with the private sector and thus contribute to economic development and poverty reduction.
- The steering and management of universities against the background of the above named developments is another challenge.
Through research and consulting services, I support universities in overcoming these challenges. In my work I care about preserving the core functions of universities, scientific research and teaching, and taking into account the social and political embeddedness of universities.