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" Higher Education Policymaking in Africa: The Role of National Actors in Senegal and Ghana "
Tchoula, Gides Christian Noumi I.
Jones, Glen A.
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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1055656
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| Doc. No
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TL54773
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| Main Entry
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Tchoula, Gides Christian Noumi I.
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| Title & Author
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Higher Education Policymaking in Africa: The Role of National Actors in Senegal and Ghana\ Tchoula, Gides Christian Noumi I.Jones, Glen A.
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| College
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University of Toronto (Canada)
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| Date
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2020
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| student score
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2020
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| Note
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465 p.
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| Abstract
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While there is a considerable body of research on the role of international actors in higher education policy in Africa, this thesis explores the role of national actors in higher education policymaking in Senegal and Ghana. Specifically, it examines the nature of national higher education policy actors, their role and strategies to influence policies, as well the factors that influence their role in the policymaking process. The study uses a qualitative case study research approach to collect and analyze relevant data. Neo-corporatist policy network and postcolonial theory were adopted as analytical frameworks. Findings of this study revealed that in addition to the state, faculty, students, and higher education institutions were active policy actors in Senegal. While these constituencies exhibited different levels of organization, they were able to influence policies using several strategies, including expertise and strike actions. The policy network in Senegal pointed towards neo- corporatism, with the multiplication of functional groups representing specific constituencies, and the positioning the state as a facilitator of the policy process. In Ghana, faculty, students, and higher education institutions were similarly actively involved in the policy process. In contrast to Senegal they had a higher level of organization, with more formal and institutionalized involvement in policymaking. The policy network in Ghana was comparatively more neo-corporatist than that of Senegal, as illustrated by the presence of highly organized interest groups, but also by the role of the state that actively positioned itself as neutral in the policy process. In both countries, various factors influenced the role of national actors in the policy process, including a tradition of consultation reinforced by the recent democratization. In addition, the development of the state’s financial capacity to implement reforms was found to be a determinant in achieving policy autonomy. While the colonial legacy of each higher education system influenced the nature and involvement of policy actors, in both countries, there was a trend towards exploring other higher education models. Overall, national actors expressed strong agency in the policy process, suggesting a postcolonial approach to policymaking that criticized aspects of Western influence while embracing the potential for modernization of higher education.
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| Descriptor
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Education policy
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Higher education
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Sub Saharan Africa studies
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| Added Entry
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Jones, Glen A.
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University of Toronto (Canada)
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