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| Higher
education key to knowledge economy |
| (the World
Bank) |
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 Washington,
1 March 2000 - Higher education in developing countries
is inadequate and falling further behind, an independent panel
of world experts in education and international development
warned today, adding that without swift action, these countries
will be unable to compete in the knowledge economy. |
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| Higher
Education in Developing Countries: Peril and Promise marks
the final report of the Task Force on Higher Education and Society,
an autonomous body of specialists convened two years ago by
UNESCO and the World Bank. The study was launched at the World
Bank's Human Development Week taking place in Washington, DC
from February 28 through today. |
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| "Well
educated people from the developing world can be a powerful
force for change, but they need schools and academic opportunities
in their own countries. This is especially true in the face
of such staggering problems as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and the
need to build up basic infrastructure and telecommunications
in poor countries," World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn
said in launching the Task Force's report. |
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| In
its report, the Task Force not only articulates compelling reasons
for renewed public interest in supporting higher education,
but also suggests specific areas for emphasis by developing
countries. These range from improving scientific and technological
capacity, to respecting principles of good governance, to supporting
both general and specialized education. |
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| The
Task Force secured the valuable insights of some of the world's
foremost authorities in higher education, and was composed of
14 members from 13 countries. The team received support from
several national governments, private foundations, corporations,
and universities. The Harvard Institute for International Development
served as home to the Task Force Secretariat. |
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| The
Task Force sounds an alarm that higher education in developing
countries is in crisis: it is generally overcrowded, chronically
under-funded, poorly managed, and beset with inadequate faculty
and curricula. |
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The report underscores the need for a holistic approach to education
policy, emphasizing that poor countries should view higher education
as a vital part of their overall human development strategy.
It argues that advanced education is crucial for developing
countries if they hope to engender the capacity required to
overcome serious problems, such as hunger, persistent poverty,
environmental degradation, and economic under-performance . |
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| Demand
for higher education is rising rapidly, compounding the challenges
for countries that hope to improve quality, reduce public cost,
and increase access to all strata. The Task Force report advocates
a policy of systemic reform emphasizing planned diversity, where
both public and private actors co-ordinate their actions within
a clear strategic framework. |
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| Mamphela
Ramphele, incoming World Bank Managing Director for Human Development,
Task Force Co-Chair, and Vice Chancellor of the University of
Cape Town, South Africa expressed her belief that higher education
is important to poverty reduction: "There is no way we can
succeed in the eradication of poverty if the developing world
is not a part of knowledge creation, its dissemination and utilization
to promote innovation. Higher education is a critical factor
in making this possible and must be part of any development
strategy." |
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For
further information contact:
Subrata Dhar (202) 458-8345
e-mail: Sdhar4@worldbank.org
Andrew Kircher (202) 473-6313
e-mail: Akircher@worldbank.org
|
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| To learn
more about the World Bank's Human Development Week, visit http://www.worldbank.org
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